Rudolf Roessler
Encyclopedia
In World War II
espionage
, Rudolf Roessler (Rößler) (b.22 November 1897-d.11 December 1958) was the central (and mysterious) figure in the Lucy spy ring
. He was a German
refugee who had moved to Switzerland in 1933, and was the proprietor of a small publishing
firm in Switzerland
, Vita Novi
. During the War, he managed to provide, through a Soviet
espionage ring operating in Switzerland, extremely accurate and timely intelligence about German operations and intentions on the Eastern Front, usually within a day of operational decisions being made. His methods of obtaining intelligence information are still not entirely known. It was astonishingly good material, so good as to cause some considerable doubt about it in Moscow
. A German Army commander who attacked the Russian-held town of Lomza in Poland, for example, was amazed to find a copy of his own orders when he occupied it. This was reported to the German High Command, yet they were unable to find the leak.
Roessler was eventually arrested by the Swiss police during World War II and again a few years later; he was briefly jailed. He died in the 1950s (after another bout with the police) without, so far as is publicly known, ever explaining how he had done it, or exactly who his confederates in Germany were. It has been suggested that Roessler was actually a British agent, and that "Lucy" was actually
a British Secret service operation intended to get Ultra
information to the Soviets in a convincing way untraceable to British codebreaking operations against the Germans.
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
espionage
Espionage
Espionage or spying involves an individual obtaining information that is considered secret or confidential without the permission of the holder of the information. Espionage is inherently clandestine, lest the legitimate holder of the information change plans or take other countermeasures once it...
, Rudolf Roessler (Rößler) (b.22 November 1897-d.11 December 1958) was the central (and mysterious) figure in the Lucy spy ring
Lucy spy ring
In World War II espionage, the Lucy spy ring was an anti-German operation that was headquartered in Switzerland. It was run by Rudolf Roessler, a German refugee and ostensibly the proprietor of a small publishing firm, Vita Nova...
. He was a German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
refugee who had moved to Switzerland in 1933, and was the proprietor of a small publishing
Publishing
Publishing is the process of production and dissemination of literature or information—the activity of making information available to the general public...
firm in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, Vita Novi
Vita Novi
Vita Nova was a Swiss publishing house in the 1930s, run by Rudolf Roessler, one of the most enigmatic characters in the history of espionage....
. During the War, he managed to provide, through a Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
espionage ring operating in Switzerland, extremely accurate and timely intelligence about German operations and intentions on the Eastern Front, usually within a day of operational decisions being made. His methods of obtaining intelligence information are still not entirely known. It was astonishingly good material, so good as to cause some considerable doubt about it in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
. A German Army commander who attacked the Russian-held town of Lomza in Poland, for example, was amazed to find a copy of his own orders when he occupied it. This was reported to the German High Command, yet they were unable to find the leak.
Roessler was eventually arrested by the Swiss police during World War II and again a few years later; he was briefly jailed. He died in the 1950s (after another bout with the police) without, so far as is publicly known, ever explaining how he had done it, or exactly who his confederates in Germany were. It has been suggested that Roessler was actually a British agent, and that "Lucy" was actually
a British Secret service operation intended to get Ultra
Ultra
Ultra was the designation adopted by British military intelligence in June 1941 for wartime signals intelligence obtained by "breaking" high-level encrypted enemy radio and teleprinter communications at the Government Code and Cypher School at Bletchley Park. "Ultra" eventually became the standard...
information to the Soviets in a convincing way untraceable to British codebreaking operations against the Germans.