At the Epicenter of Espionage

New Sources Debunk Myths

During the height of the Cold War, intelligence agencies across Europe—but especially in Austria and Germany—drew thousands of people into the fray by recruiting them as couriers or informants. A newly published book now turns the spotlight on precisely these individuals.

The book breaks away from purely political history and describes in detail how espionage unfolded at the micro level—including the immediate dangers faced by the spies themselves, their families, and friends. It refutes the common assumption that spies were driven solely by money and operated without awareness of the risks involved. Using intelligence models such as the MICE model (Money, Ideology, Coercion, Ego), the book shows that cooperation almost always resulted from a complex combination of material benefits, ideological views, coercion, and a personal desire for recognition.

The book is based on the latest research findings and debunks myths about espionage. By analyzing a broad range of sources—some of which are being used here for the first time—the book offers entirely new insights into the real and often deadly practices of intelligence agencies. A striking example is the analysis of the CIA’s “Redsox” operation, which failed disastrously because it did not take into account the realities in the USSR and because inadequately trained agents were knowingly sent into the hands of Soviet counterintelligence. In addition, the book critically examines how intelligence agencies and the media constructed their own fictions and espionage narratives.



COLLABORATION WITH THE LEISTIKOWSTRASSE MEMORIAL IN POTSDAM



PARTICIPANTS

Dr. Ines Reich Director of the Leistikowstraße Memorial in Potsdam, Author

Prof. Dr. Bodo Hechelhammer BND, Author

Prof. Dr. Siegfried Beer Historian, Author

Dieter Bacher Historian, Author

MODERATOR

Prof. Dr. Helmut Müller-Enbergs Political scientist, authorTranslated with DeepL

Next date:

• Date Thursday, 15/October/2026 19:00
• Venue Deutsches Spionagemuseum
• Address Leipziger Platz 9, 10117 Berlin-Mitte