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At around 10 am on Wednesday, 11 December, historian Ilko-Sascha Kowalczuk writes an e-mail with the following content: No, he is in the middle of the word "Berliner Zeitung". On Friday, she would document the expertise he and former Federal Commissioner for Stasi documents, Marianne Birthler, had developed on six pages. He was in the word at the Berlin publishing house. Finally, it's about Holger Friedrich, who bought him with his wife weeks ago and found out about the "world" that he had served as a Stasi spy.
A few hours later, the historian is full of anger. Because about the agencies is a pre-deregistration of the "time" on the victims of Holger Friedrich. The report mentions ten IMs, "at least" ten, which were assigned to him, Friedrich. "Nonsense" hisses Ilko Sascha Kowalczuk. And scolds about the "Berliner Zeitung": From "breach of trust" is the speech, of hours of work and incidentally that was with the ten nerds total nonsense. Hours later, there is the report of "Zeit", a portrait of Friedrichs, written by Jana Hensel.
"Amber" and "hawk"
In the year 30, after the fall of the Berlin Wall, the battle for the interpretation sovereignty of history rages. And it's not just about truthfulness, but more about speed and what's "hanging". A sticker, a headline, a prejudice.
In the case of Friedrich, the "world" can make the first impact. Since Friedrich missed any chance to talk about the former, own Stasi contacts, their report on the file of the former unofficial employee Friedrich suggests that someone smashed the lower deck of a ship. Hubertus Knabe, ex-chief of the Stasi memorial is completely upset and the head of "Bild" says that now, after 30 years, the Stasi again have the shots in the "Berliner Zeitung". As if a command Erich Mielke took over the "Berliner Zeitung" in a coup.
The smarter and the more honest (as Friedrich) in the editorial board of the "Berliner" then come up with the idea to ask Marianne Birthler and Ilko Sascha Kowalczuk to analyze the files on Friedrich in peace. For apparently there is not only the IM file "Amber" to him, but also one with the ornithological-looking title "Habicht", an operational process. Kowalczuk and Birthler are considered authorities with a bias towards a differentiated worldview.
Both are more likely to have both as well as too. And the appeal to the readers to get a picture of themselves - in the spirit of 1989. Roland Jahn, the successor to Birthler, had already explained in a foxy smart way on the radio: Whether a taxi driver was with the Stasi, that's not so important. One expects from him only to be brought to the right address. And had left the audience the judgment of other professional groups.
But there was probably the restless Mr. Friedrich before, who - as in the case of the "time" - once interviews canceled, sometimes - as in the case of SPIEGEL - turned on the lawyer and thus persistently increase the number of his followers. Because it is cowardly both, right? In any case, for a great manifesto author who likes to see his photo in his newspaper.
Everywhere something bad big or big evil suspected
Uneasy (or bustling) as he is, he lets "time" author Jana Hensel look into his "Habicht" file, only - so it is claimed - his colleagues from the "Berliner", the Birthler and Ko. commissioned, know nothing of it, as the pre-announcement on the ticker rattles. The supposedly ten spies on Friedrich allegedly are - according to Kowalczuk - so wrong that probably the "world" boy "image" camp will cheer. What would have rung in the next round and the renewed attempt will begin to miss Friedrich a "label". Kowalczuk and Birthler wrote: "Anyone who bothers" would come to their own "assessment." That seems a bit much in the age of high-speed debates.
Oh so: What is in the dossier of the two about Friedrich? Yes, the file "Habicht", ie the victim file, was created during Frederick's time at the NVA, that would exist. Letters had been opened, the closet had been searched. On the following sentences, addressed to a fellow soldier, the Stasi people had come across: "I welcome you in our midst of the warriors against money and too much power! At the moment we do not find any use for you, since Panzerfäuste as well-known to demoralize act ... You can prove yourself in actions as a champion ... You know, we have only the alternative of martyrdom! "
You have to read this pubertal quark several times in order to classify it. And you can even think about what you thought even at this age.
"... this is a joke, I admit to a worse, add even a very, very bad!" wrote Friedrich alias Habicht aka Bernstein himself later. But - and the history of this file also teaches that no joke, no matter how stupid, escaped the "organs". And behind every stupid "bad joke" this ministry succeeded in assuming something bad or big evil.
Just amazing, which jokes still cause pain today. Because some talk too little and the others too much, Comrade Minister will celebrate many a triumph posthumously. After 30 years - who would have thought that.