Spy stories: What really happened on June 11, 1985!

Spy stories: What really happened on June 11, 1985!

Glienicker Brücke, 14482 Potsdam, Deutschland - On June 11, 1985, an event of historical dimension occurred on the Glienicker Bridge: The greatest agent exchange of the Cold War took place here, in which 25 convicted spies of the GDR were exchanged for four western prisoners. This bridge, which connects Berlin with Potsdam, has been closed since the Wall construction in 1961 and thus represented an iconic place of the east-west conflict. The exchange was carried out under strict safety precautions and with media attention worldwide. Richard Burt, the designated American ambassador, monitored the exchange from the western side, while Wolfgang Vogel led the negotiations on the eastern German side and already brought experience from previous exchanges.

The first agent exchange on the Glienicke Bridge took place in 1962 when the KGB spy Rudolf Iwanowitsch Abel was exchanged for the Cia pilot Francis Gary Powers. Abel had been arrested for atomic espionage, while Powers was shot down over Soviet territory in 1960. The historical exchange of 1985 was one of the most drastic moments in the Cold War and not only aimed at the exchange of agents, but was also part of a larger geopolitical game. Anatoli Schscharanski, a Russian-Jewish human rights activist, was a central figure in the negotiations, but not part of the exchange that day.

background of the exchange

Negotiations on Schscharanski's release started in 1977 and dragged on for years because the Soviets perceived him as a spy and the Americans as a political prisoner. Schtscharanski was sentenced to 13 years of labor camp for “anti -sowing agitation” and “treason”. The international support for him grew through the media -effective campaign of his wife. So his name was not only a symbol of personal fates, but also for the political tensions of the time.

The complete exchange on June 11, 1985 was a carefully planned process. The bus with the detainees stopped in front of the Glienicker bridge, and a Stasi employee warned them of possible escape attempts that were threatened with shooting. Among the 25 exchanged spies were, above all, GDR citizens who had been arrested for less serious spy activities. According to [berliner-zeitung.de] (https://www.berliner-zeitung.de/open-source/als-spionagethriller-verklaert-am-11-juni-1985-te- der-Glienicker-Bruecke-Li.2323433), international media were also interested in this transaction. Journalists and photographers camped on the West Berlin side of the bridge to document the exchange.

after -effects of the agent exchange

Another important event took place on February 11, 1986: the last agent exchange at the Glienicker Bridge. Anatoli Schscharanski was released and was allowed to cross the bridge alone, followed by three western agents. In return, five eastern agents switched to the GDR side of the bridge. These exchanges are considered a sign of relaxation in the Cold War and were largely influenced by the political reforms of Mikhail Gorbachev, which became general secretary of the Soviet KP in March 1985.

Wolfgang Vogel is worth mentioning, since he was not only responsible for the exchange on June 11, 1985, but was also involved in numerous further negotiations on the release of political prisoners. Over the years, the Glienicker Bridge remains a symbolic scene of the story, which reflects the tensions and ultimately the opening of the German-German division. The bridge has not only created physical but also symbolic connections by telling common stories of hope and tragedy.