informer
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informer
A person who secretly gathers information about others and passes it on to an authority, such as the police, an intelligence service, or an employer; the term has a strongly negative connotation.
In der Diktatur gab es überall Spitzel, die die Bevölkerung aushorchten und denunzierten.
In the dictatorship, there were informers everywhere who listened in on the population and denounced people.
This word has a very strong negative connotation. It describes a person who betrays others and who is not trusted. It is a serious insult.
Niemand in der Gruppe wusste, wer der Spitzel war.
No one in the group knew who the informer was.
To express whom an informer works for, you use the preposition 'für' (for) followed by the accusative.
Er arbeitete als Spitzel für die Geheimpolizei.
He worked as an informer for the secret police.
The word 'Spitzel' (informer) is often used in the context of dictatorships, authoritarian regimes, intelligence services, or crime.
Der Roman handelt von einem Agenten, der als Spitzel in einer feindlichen Organisation eingeschleust wird.
The novel is about an agent who is planted as an informer in an enemy organization.
spy / peephole
Both the Spion and the Spitzel secretly gather information and pass it on. Spion tends to emphasize the intelligence role carried out on behalf of an organization, while Spitzel is strongly derogatory and refers to an informer who investigates other people. Use Spion for the role and Spitzel for the negative evaluation.
Der Spitzel gab der Polizei heimlich Informationen über seine Nachbarn weiter.
The informer secretly passed information about his neighbors on to the police.
Der Spion sammelte im Auftrag des Geheimdienstes heimlich Informationen über das Nachbarland.
The spy secretly gathered information about the neighboring country on behalf of the intelligence service.
