Matthew Fishback

The East German IX. Parteitag Machine Pistol

2025 ARES Emerging Experts Fellowship recipient

Supported Project

Mr Fishback’s research project examines the history of the IX. Parteitag sub-machine gun (‘machine pistol’) developed by the East German Ministry for State Security—the Stasi—in the 1970s. This topic has been explored in niche German-language sources, but Mr Fishback’s work is expected to yield the first documented history of the IX. Parteitag’s development in English. Research methods will include conducting interviews to establish new oral histories and translating various German-language records of the project’s development.

Biography

Matthew Fishback is a firearms researcher, collector, and amateur sports shooter. He obtained his Master’s degree in international relations from Queen’s University Belfast with a dissertation on small arms proliferation and insurgency in Kashmir, utilising various open-source intelligence (OSINT) analysis techniques. Professionally, he began his career in the field of OSINT risk analysis, due diligence, and compliance research with a focus on the international aerospace industry. His main research and collecting interests are focused on the history of small arms development and use in East Germany from 1949 to 1990.

Outputs

The fellowship is expected to support an article in Armax: The Journal of Contemporary Arms, as well one or more smaller outputs.

Period: 20th century

Geographical Region: Europe

Arms Class: Small Arms (Firearms)

Mr Fishback’s research has been proudly supported by