Downgraded in the political fallout after the German workers’ uprising of 17 June 1953, the MfS ceased to be an independent ministry effective 18 July 1953. Renamed the Staatssekretariat für Staatssicherheit (SfS), the organization was subordinated to the Ministerium des Innern (Ministry of the Interior) and the title was changed from Minister für Staatssicherheit to Staatssekretär für Staatssicherheit. In November 1955, the SfS was restored to its former status as an independent ministry.
Erich Mielke served as a state secretary and deputy minister of the MfS under Zaisser from 1950-1953. He continued to serve as deputy leader of the SfS and, from November 1955, deputy minister of the restored MfS under Wollweber. Initially granted the rank of Generalinspekteur, Mielke received promotion to Generalleutnant on 1 January 1953, Generaloberst on 1 October 1959 and Armeegeneral on 1 February 1980.

On 17 November 1989, Hans Modrow, the new Chairman of the Council of Ministers, ordered the MfS restructured into the Amt für Nationale Sicherheit (AfNS) (Office for National Security). However, widespread public outcry over the continued existence of the secret police organization prompted the government to vote for the dissolution of the AfNS on 14 December 1989. The planned successor organizations, the Amt für Verfassungsschutz der DDR (Office for Protection of the Constitution) headed by Generalmajor Dipl.-Jurist Heinz Engelhardt and the Nachrichtendienst der DDR (Intelligence Service) under Generaloberst Dipl.-Jurist Werner Großmann, remained largely on paper and did not come to fruition.

Minister für Staatssicherheit

Wilhelm Zaisser (8 Feb 1950-18 July 1953)
Ernst Wollweber (18 July 1953-31 Oct 1957)
Armeegeneral Erich Mielke (1 Nov 1957-7 Nov 1989)

Leiter des Amt für Nationale Sicherheit

Generalleutnant Dr. jur. Wolfgang Schwanitz (17 Nov 1989-14 Dec 1989)