> I don’t believe those living “normal lives” in East Germany or the Soviet era considered the police to be evil and invasive the way we do today.

That's wrong.

I am sure you do not speak German, because otherwise you'd have a lot more information available.

If you do speak German, listen to Dieter Hallervorden. Example:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJh9ejnpvFc

He explained why he escaped from the DDR. And they ALL knew that the cops were sniffing on them. Of course they considered the cops as evil and invasive, even by today standards.