29 Facts About Erwin Tiebel

Erwin Tiebel's involvement became progressively more time consuming and after 1943 he restricted his law work to existing cases.

Erwin Tiebel worked on "commercial matters", especially with regard to "currency transactions in foreign countries".

Erwin Tiebel was one of three men arrested on spying charges on 6 November 1961.

The court determined that Erwin Tiebel had worked as a courier and he received a three-year jail sentence.

The boys' father, Paul Erwin Tiebel, who died in 1948, is described as a "master mechanic".

Erwin Tiebel attended school in Radeberg from 1910, passing his Abitur in 1923.

Erwin Tiebel studied Law at Leipzig and Berlin between 1923 and 1928, passing his first level law exams in 1927 and the second level exams in 1934.

Erwin Tiebel was introduced to Johannes "Hans" Clemens by a local bank manager in Autumn 1938.

Erwin Tiebel was now told that his reports should go directly to Clemens.

Erwin Tiebel gave Clemens a number of names over the next few years and subsequently found that Clemens had contacted the individuals involved.

Erwin Tiebel received a "monthly stipend" of 250 marks for this work and at this stage was still able to undertake his own work as a lawyer.

Erwin Tiebel was told that his supervisor intended for him to be transferred to Switzerland, to work in an "intelligence capacity", but the transfer never took place, and he was based in Berlin till the war ended, in May 1945.

Pohl was already working as an independent building contractor, and through him Erwin Tiebel was able to obtain work as a building worker.

Pohl's activities developed into a building business, and after a couple of years Erwin Tiebel took over as Pohl's office manager.

Erwin Tiebel was still in charge of the "office" side of the business in 1961, by which time the business had grown to a substantial size.

Erwin Tiebel saw a good deal of Gerda Glemens during her visit and formed the impression that she might have been sent in order to persuade her husband, who already had a background in German intelligence, to "work for the Russians and come to Dresden".

Erwin Tiebel subsequently stated to interrogators that he discussed this possibility with his friend and urged him not to go to Dresden.

Erwin Tiebel returned to Lendringsen a few days later and reported at least some of what had happened.

Erwin Tiebel assumed that Clemens had settled in the Dusseldorf area and was building himself a new life.

Erwin Tiebel later explained that he had inferred that his friend "intended to set up a double play against the Russian[s] on behalf of the Gehlen office".

Felfe, Clemens and Erwin Tiebel were all originally from the Dresden area: the recruitment of Felfe and Clemens was directed by the KGB office in Dresden, and it is likely that the Dresden office was involved in subsequently involving Erwin Tiebel.

Nevertheless, at his interrogations in 1961 Erwin Tiebel insisted that when, after due reflection, he "finally" indicated his willingness to help his friend as requested, he did what he did "out of comradeship".

Erwin Tiebel arranged to meet his elder brother, Martin Tiebel for a discussion of family matters, while taking care to ensure that Martin knew simply that he was "on a business trip".

Erwin Tiebel would spend the evening and night in West Berlin and drive home the next day, stopping as before at the parking area next to the 107 kilometer marker post in order to pick up the little suitcase.

Heinz Felfe, Hans Clemens and Erwin Tiebel were all arrested in West Germany on 6 November 1961.

Erwin Tiebel was sentenced for treason on 22 July 1963 to a three-year prison term.

Erwin Tiebel was released in 1964 when he was exchanged to the DDR.

Erwin Tiebel married his wife Isolde Hordler in October 1941.

Erwin Tiebel later reported, under questioning, that Isolde unsuccessfully tried to persuade him to "take her to the west", while she made no response to his suggestion that they might consider a divorce.