Hans Tiedge
Encyclopedia
Hans-Joachim Tiedge was a head of West Germany's
counter-intelligence in the Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) in Cologne. He was revealed to be an East German spy when he defected to the East on August 19, 1985. He had been recruited by Markus Wolf
. In the four years prior to his defection, he was responsible tor tracking down East German spies, but with little success. In the same period, the East Germans captured 168 West German spies. He was thought to have defected for personal reasons, as he had not, apparently, been discovered. His treachery was called the most damaging of the Cold War
for the Federal Republic of Germany, resulting in the recall of numerous West German agents still in the field and plunging the West German counterespionage service into ruins.
Questions were raised as to how Tiedge managed to hold on to his position despite serious debts, family issues and a drinking problem. It was suspected that his superior, Herbert Hellenbroich may have assisted him to hold his position. Hellenbroich resigned within weeks of the defection.
After German reunification
Tiedge fled to Moscow where he lived under the name Hans Ottowitsch. He died on April 6, 2011.
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
counter-intelligence in the Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) in Cologne. He was revealed to be an East German spy when he defected to the East on August 19, 1985. He had been recruited by Markus Wolf
Markus Wolf
Markus Johannes "Mischa" Wolf was head of the General Intelligence Administration , the foreign intelligence division of East Germany's Ministry for State Security . He was the MfS's number two for 34 years, which spanned most of the Cold War...
. In the four years prior to his defection, he was responsible tor tracking down East German spies, but with little success. In the same period, the East Germans captured 168 West German spies. He was thought to have defected for personal reasons, as he had not, apparently, been discovered. His treachery was called the most damaging of the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
for the Federal Republic of Germany, resulting in the recall of numerous West German agents still in the field and plunging the West German counterespionage service into ruins.
Questions were raised as to how Tiedge managed to hold on to his position despite serious debts, family issues and a drinking problem. It was suspected that his superior, Herbert Hellenbroich may have assisted him to hold his position. Hellenbroich resigned within weeks of the defection.
After German reunification
German reunification
German reunification was the process in 1990 in which the German Democratic Republic joined the Federal Republic of Germany , and when Berlin reunited into a single city, as provided by its then Grundgesetz constitution Article 23. The start of this process is commonly referred by Germans as die...
Tiedge fled to Moscow where he lived under the name Hans Ottowitsch. He died on April 6, 2011.