Do you know who was the head of the best intelligence in the world? Who is Marcus Wolf? We’ll talk about the head of the main intelligence department, his family and life.
Biography
Marcus Wolf was born on January 19, 1923 in the city of Heching. He grew up in the family of a doctor and playwright. After Hitler came to power, it was dangerous for Father Marcus , famous for his provocative speeches, to remain in Germany was dangerous.
Relocation to Russia
After living a certain period in Sweden and France, the Wolves moved to the capital of Russia. There they were given Soviet citizenship. Already after the Second World War, the Marcus family was evacuated to Bashkiria. There, Marcus Wolf entered a special school, which trains professionals in the field of intelligence and sabotage behind enemy lines.
Graduation and first job
Already after the end of World War II, Marcus Wolf was sent to Berlin. In the summer season of 1945, he already worked on the Berlin radio and in the print edition of Berliner Zeitung. In 1946, together with other correspondents, Wolf gave an interview with the Nuremberg trials.
By 1950, Marcus had the skills of diplomatic and reporting activities, and also visited European states. 02/08/1950, after the formation of the GDR, the Department of National Security ("Stasi") was created. It included intelligence, disguised for the first time under the guise of the Institution of Economic Studies. From the day it was created, Marcus Wolf joined its management.
From 1958 to 1987, the son of a playwright was appointed head of the main agent management, and was deputy minister of national security for the GDR. During the years of its administration, the GDR possessed the most effective espionage service in the Warsaw block states. Its most significant achievements include the introduction of the financier Rainer Roop into NATO.
Dismissal
In 1983, Wolf resigned, but his request was considered only after 3 years. Already after the reunification of Germany, the head of the main intelligence directorate, Markus Wolf, asked for political and social cover from the Soviet Union, but he was refused.
Treason
The general happened to see the opening of the archives of the intelligence service, the persecution of his colleagues, as well as to survive 3 trials of him. Colonel General Markus Wolf was charged with high treason. In 1993, he was sentenced by the Düsseldorf High Court to 6 years in prison. The verdict was later annulled.
Wolf Books
A large number of books were written by Marcus Wolf. The biography of the general contains a lot of information about them. His most famous books are Troika and Friends Do Not Die. The last author was represented in Russia.
Marcus Wolf (years of life - 1923-2006), as we found out, is not only a professional intelligence officer, but also an excellent writer.
Good luck on the side of Marcus
Throughout all the years of life, the scout smiled on luck. Famous enough in his circle was Marcus Wolf. The family, as we found out earlier, was known for its playwright, writer and Jew. In 1937, when a mass of political emigrants were arrested, the Marcus family remained at large. This was far from the last happy accident. Interestingly, after the events of the 37th year, the biographical data of the future intelligence officer were absolutely clean before the authorities.
Luck smiled at Wolf and after graduating from the school of scouts. After training, he was not sent to the front line. Previously, almost all inexperienced scouts who were sent to practice died. It was thanks to the decision of the leadership that Marcus survived.
Dizzying career
It is believed that Wolf has built an incredibly dizzying career. At the age of twenty-nine, he became the head of intelligence for the GDR. They discuss Marcus, admire his career and write dissertations about him. Wolf himself never commented on his fast-paced career. He always answered dryly and succinctly to questions about the appointment.
Reason for resignation and life after it
The exact reason for the resignation remains a mystery to this day. It is known that in 1986 Marcus Wolf believed that the state needed a liberal reformation, and the leadership of the GDR thought very differently. Sources indicate that this is the reason for leaving, because Marcus's age did not matter, and he was in good relations with the GDR. In addition, Wolf before the resignation received the rank of Colonel General.
As we found out earlier, when he retired, Marcus Wolf became interested in writing books. Der Trojka is his famous publication in which he condemned Stalinism and enthusiastically responded to Gorbachev's Perestroika. General Wolf could well be trusted since he knew more about Stalinism than others. This work gained popularity not only in the GDR, but also in the West.
Interestingly, after the publication of the book, Wolf became one of the main dissidents and fighters for perestroika in eastern Germany.
Man Without a Face
"Man without a face" - such a pseudonym in the West was named Marcus Wolf. Photos of the Colonel General could not get the scouts. Interestingly, at the same time Wolf traveled freely in Europe. In 1979, the assistant Marcus fled to Germany and identified his boss in one of the photographs taken in Stockholm. Soon this photo appeared on the cover of one of the magazines.
Interesting facts from the life of a scout
As we said earlier, for some time the young intelligence officer lived in the Soviet Union. That is why there he was also called Misha, because the name Marcus strongly "cut" the rumor.
It is interesting that in a Russian school a German boy was remembered for a long time. Incredibly, when he entered the educational institution, he made about three dozen grammatical, punctuation and stylistic mistakes in the Russian dictation, and already at graduation he failed the ... German exam! Until the end of his life, Marcus spoke Russian fluently and without accent, and even knew the rules of spelling.
Marcus family. last years of life
It is known that in his life Wolf was married four times. His last wife was Andrea. They had four children, eleven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. It is interesting that one of the scout’s grandchildren is called Michael, as Marcus himself was called in childhood. The scout spent the last years of his life in Berlin, in a villa with his family. One of the former illegal residents, who eventually became a member of the family, and not just a governess, was engaged in household chores in the villa.
In the last couple of years of his life, Marcus loved to relax in Hungary and meet with former colleagues for a cup of coffee. Despite his advanced age, in the last years of his life, Wolf often raised the question and insisted on a complete amnesty for former intelligence officers. After all, many acquaintances, colleagues and comrades of Marcus were imprisoned after the two thousandths.
Mysterious personality
Despite German law, pensions for intelligence workers are negligible. Marcus Wolf earned the last fifteen years of his life by writing books that are translated into all languages of the world, as well as filming in documentaries and public lectures. Critics express their admiration for the books that Marcus Wolf wrote. They believe that the author has a special talent as a storyteller-scout. He knew how to tell the truth in such a way that after reading there were even more questions than answers.
Surprisingly, after Wolf wrote many autobiographical books and participated in the filming of documentaries, his personality remains a mystery.
Wolf in interrogation
Wolf was not only a unique talent for writing books. It is known that before his resignation, he never disclosed his colleagues at interrogations and always took all the blame upon himself. Marcus always believed that he was doing the right thing, as he was responsible for them. For such honesty, at his last trial, an already elderly general, although justified, was assigned a fairly small pension.
Despite everything, the soul of Marcus has always been in Russia. He never stopped loving her. It is with this that his good knowledge of the language is connected, despite the fact that many years have passed since his residence there. Until the last years of his life, the general regularly visited his sister, who lived on the Embankment in Moscow, and admired the Russian city.
The most vivid memories
In an interview, shortly before his death, a journalist asked Wolf about the most vivid memory of his childhood. Surprisingly, Marcus replied that the most memorable event was the entry into the Komsomol, as well as the summer camp.
Great personality
The incredible person was Marcus Wolf. The year of birth and death was shared by eighty-four years, during which Marcus proved himself to be a man, writer and intelligence officer with a capital letter. Despite life's difficulties, Wolf got better every year. Even before his death, he was an incredibly active and pleasant person. He was always happy to talk with people and give advice. Wolf possessed incredible wisdom and could solve any problem. He was always honest and fair. Incredibly, he never gave up his co-workers. Such a great man certainly has something to learn.