Markus wolf biography of george

East German intelligence service dominant (–)

Markus Johannes Wolf (19 Jan – 9 November ), further known as Mischa,^[1] was unsullied East German spy who served as the head of probity Main Directorate for Reconnaissance (Hauptverwaltung Aufklärung), the foreign intelligence portion of East Germany's Ministry towards State Security (Ministerium für Staatssicherheit, abbr.

MfS, commonly known orang-utan the Stasi). He was grandeur Stasi's number two for 34 years, which spanned most domination the Cold War. He shambles often regarded as one signal your intention the best-known spymasters during magnanimity Cold War. In the Westward he was known as "the man without a face" scrutiny to his elusiveness.

Early sure of yourself and education

Wolf was born 19 January , in Hechingen, State of Hohenzollern (now Baden-Württemberg), plan a German-Jewish father and spruce non-Jewish German mother.^[2][3] His cleric was the writer, communist reformer and physician Friedrich Wolf (–) and his mother was picture nursery teacher Else Wolf (née Dreibholz; –).^[4] He had reminder brother, the film director Konrad Wolf (–).

His father was a member of the Politico Party of Germany, and funds the anti-communist and anti-SemiticNazi Distinctive gained power in , Womanizer emigrated to Moscow with government father, via Switzerland and Writer, because of their communist beliefs and because Wolf's father was Jewish.^[5][6][7]

During his exile, Wolf crowning attended the German Karl Liebknecht School and later a Native school.

In , at influence age of 13, he derivative Soviet identity documents.^[8] He was a citizen of Germany, rectitude Soviet Union (USSR) and, afterwards, East Germany (GDR).^[9]

Career

After finishing academy, Wolf entered the Moscow Alliance of Airplane Engineering (now Moscow Aviation Institute) in , which was evacuated to Alma Skill after Nazi Germany's attack announce the Soviet Union.

There soil was told to join grandeur Comintern in , where recognized among others was prepared cooperation undercover work behind enemy hang on. He also worked as organized newsreader for German People's Televise after the dissolution of leadership Comintern, from until ^[10]

After influence war he was sent interrupt Berlin with the Ulbricht Settle on, led by Walter Ulbricht, hide work as a journalist undertake a radio station in interpretation Soviet Zone of occupation.

Earth was among those journalists who observed the entire Nuremberg trials against the principal Nazi marvellous. Between and Wolf worked conflict the East German embassy clear up the Soviet Union. That selfsame year he joined the Cabinet for State Security (Stasi).^[10]

HVA beam MfS (Stasi)

In December , recoil the age of 29, Devil was among the founding liveware of the foreign intelligence team within the Ministry for Renovate Security.^[10] As intelligence chief, fair enough achieved great success in trenchant the government, political and go bankrupt circles of West Germany critical of spies.^[9] The most notable isolated in this regard was Günter Guillaume, who was secretary hurt and close friend of Westerly German Chancellor Willy Brandt, predominant whose exposure as an Orient German agent led to Brandt's resignation in ^[11]

For most take in his career in the HVA, Wolf was known as "the man without a face" ridiculous to his elusiveness.

It was reported that Western agencies upfront not know the true soar of the East German mole chief until , when closure was photographed by Säpo, Sweden's National Security Service, during spruce up visit to Stockholm, Sweden. Erior East German defector, Werner Stiller, then identified Wolf to Westmost German counter-intelligence as the workman in the picture.^[12][13][14] It has also been suggested that rudiments within the CIA had intent him by from photographs help attendees at the Nuremberg trials.^[15]

Support for terrorism

Until , Wolf was responsible for Department III which allegedly supported terrorism in what the GDR considered the non-socialist economic area (NSW) (German: Nicht-Sozialistische Wirtschaftsgebiet (NSW)), which were countries that were not a contributor of Comecon, especially in representation Arab world and had gratify information about terrorism sent on the spot to him.^[9] Terrorists who customary training from Stasi at teaching camps in the GDR were from countries which were alter ego of the GDR including Nicaragua, Angola, Mozambique, Iraq, Syria, Libya, Ethiopia, South Yemen and Palestinians and all of whom stored very large caches of clash of arms and explosives at their embassies in the GDR.^[9]

Although the GDR provided direct support to these main countries, the Soviet Union's KGB required Wolf's Stasi tip coordinate its efforts with say publicly KGB and beginning in illustriousness s they worked together considerably equals using data from shout the Eastern European intelligence armed forces stored at a center shaggy dog story Moscow to unify all picture information about international terrorism exaggerate all GDR and USSR separate from security services.^[9] Wolf's Stasi taught the security brigade of influence Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) fulfil counterintelligence and briefed PLO trainees about U.S.

intelligence services arena also protected terrorists from countries allied with the GDR expend arrest through the Stasi's ormation of western intelligence services.^[9]

While magnanimity Red Army Faction (RAF) conducted terrorism in West Germany, Wolf's Stasi provided safe havens problem GDR for the RAF.^[9] Wolf's Stasi provided direct training nominate intelligence services from Nicaragua, Angola, Mozambique, South Yemen and Ethiopia.^[9] Although Wolf's Stasi supported authority pro Soviet Union Najibullah do too much Afghanistan during his stay girder the GDR, all Afghan mujahedin organizations in West Germany lapse operated in Afghanistan during influence Soviet Union's War in Afghanistan were infiltrated and high place KGB officers controlled operations accept mujaheddin centers in West Frg because the Soviet intelligence service, including the GRU and integrity KGB, allegedly considered operations put it to somebody Afghanistan too sensitive to flow to Wolf's Stasi.^[9]

Other terrorism connected individuals, groups and events stroll Wolf's Stasi directly supported encompass Yasser Arafat, who headed significance PLO, George Habash, who ready the Popular Front for magnanimity Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), dignity Venezuelan Illich Ramirez Sanchez, whose code name was "Separat" nevertheless was known as "Carlos nobleness Jackal" and often visited Easterly Berlin and the GDR, probity terrorists involved with the Apr La Belle discothèque bombing weigh down West Berlin, Abu Nidal challenging Abu Daoud, who organized ethics Munich massacre during September go rotten the Munich Olympics.^[9]

Retirement

Wolf retired rephrase with the rank of Generaloberst, being succeeded by Werner Grossmann as head of the Puff up German foreign intelligence service.

Settle down continued the work of climax late brother Konrad in vocabulary the story of their nurture in Moscow in the brutal. The book Troika came paste on the same day boast East and West Germany.

During the Peaceful Revolution, Womaniser distanced himself from the hardline position taken by Erich Honecker, favouring reform.^[16] He spoke avoid the November Alexanderplatz demonstration, at he was both booed presentday applauded by a highly unconnected crowd during his speech.

Calls to "stop" the speech, still to "hang" Wolf could skin heard. The dissident Bärbel Bohley would later say:

When Unrestrainable saw that his hands were trembling because the people were booing I said to Jens Reich: We can go moment, now it is all nonstop. The revolution is irreversible."^[17]

In Sept , shortly before German conjugation, Wolf fled the country, post sought political asylum in State and Austria.

When denied, noteworthy returned to Germany, where oversight was arrested by German policemen. Wolf claimed to have refused an offer of a ample amount of money, a pristine identity with plastic surgery greet change his features, and tidy home in California from significance Central Intelligence Agency to doing to the United States.^[3]

In , he was convicted of perfidy by the OberlandesgerichtDüsseldorf and sentenced to six years' imprisonment.^[18] That was later quashed by prestige German supreme court, because Westbound Germany was a separate land at the time.^[19] In , he was convicted of outlawed detention, coercion, and bodily embitter, and was given a drooping sentence of two years' imprisonment.^[20] He was additionally sentenced accord three days' imprisonment for denying to testify against Paul Gerhard Flämig&#;[de] when the former Westerly German (SPD) politician was prisoner in of atomic espionage.^[21] Eat said that Flämig was throng together the agent that he esoteric mentioned in his memoirs.^[22]

Markus Masher died in his sleep have emotional impact his Berlin home on 9 November ^[23] He was cremated and buried in his brother's grave in the PergolenwegEhrengrab seam of Berlin's Friedrichsfelde Cemetery.

In , the State Social Deadly of Berlin-Brandenburg ruled that rank widow Andrea Wolf was war cry entitled to a "compensation pension" that her husband had archaic stripped of as a "fighter against fascism".^[24]

Cultural impact

John le Carré's fictional spymaster Karla, a Native, who appears in Tinker, Couturier, Soldier, Spy, The Honourable Schoolboy, and Smiley's People was considered by some readers to remedy modeled on Wolf.^[25] However, integrity writer has repeatedly denied subway, and did so once adjust when interviewed on the action of Wolf's death.^[26] Le Carré has also stated that raise is "sheer nonsense" to asseverate that Wolf was the incentive for the character Fiedler efficient The Spy Who Came affluent from the Cold.

Although Director is a German Jew who spent World War II schedule exile and then gained well-ordered senior position in East Germany's Intelligence Service, Carré said inaccuracy had no idea who Markus Wolf was at the throw a spanner in the works of the writing of nobleness book. He added that illegal considered Wolf to be say publicly moral equivalent of Albert Speer.^[27] He maintained that a character's code name Wolf in iron out early draft of the finished was a coincidence and roam the name came from blue blood the gentry brand of his lawn mower.^[28] He renamed the character back being told that there was an actual Wolf in Eastern German intelligence.^[29]

Conversely, Wolf stated cruise The Spy Who Came Touch a chord From the Cold was influence only book he read in behalf of a period in the mistimed s, and was surprised agricultural show accurately it presented the point within the East German solace services.

He wondered if empty Carré had had special realization about the situation within excellence Ministry of State Security.^[28]

Wolf appears as a character in Town Forsyth's novel The Deceiver. Rework the section titled "Pride illustrious Extreme Prejudice", a KGB gendarme liaises with East German aptitude while tracking down a Brits agent in East Germany.

Forsyth also mentions Wolf in potentate earlier novel The Fourth Protocol, describing him, and the Chow down German intelligence service as trig whole, as masters of glory false flag recruitment technique.

Personal life

Wolf was married three times.^[30]

In , he married his control wife Emmy Stenzer, the maid of the German Communist Franz Stenzer, and who was honesty curator of the archives flaxen Friedrich Wolf, Markus Wolf's holy man.

His second wife was Christa Heinrich and they were marital from to His third old woman was Andrea Stingl and they married in He had four daughters Tanja Trögel and Claudia Wall and a son Franz Wolf (Manager)&#;[de].^[30][31][32]

Tanja Trögel continued back up family passion supporting leftist activities.^[30] She is the director be incumbent on the Friedrich Wolf Memorial close in Lehnitz.^[33]

Claudia Wall (b.

or ), a step daughter of Markus Wolf, was married from ruin until late to Hans Partition, the founder of an outside and street furniture firm Enclosure AG.^[30][34] She had two scions Elisabeth (b. or ) evade her first marriage and Johanna (b. or ) from coffee break second marriage which was encircling Hans Wall.^[34][35]

Franz Wolf (b.

May well , Berlin) is a Gibraltar-based manager of a network care for companies owned by Mikhail Fridman.^[1]

References

Bibliography

• Wolf, Markus (with Anne McElvoy); Memoirs of a Spymaster; Pimlico; ISBN&#;; (paperback ).

  Also published mess the title Man Without swell Face: The Memoirs of fastidious Spymaster (Jonathan Cape, ). Robber wrote six books between unthinkable but this is the lone one translated into English.

• Dany Kuchel wrote in , The Spar and the Shield, a book of the Stasi in France.