@@erik_griswold Vienna is where we are and Vienna is still a bit like that. The Russian “residential” compound is within walking distance of where we live.
The Soviet Union left the Eastern Europe so that the US would turn those counties into NATOstan and then blow up Nordstream to punish their servant states for dealing with Russia.
Served with U.S. forces in Berlin, 1984-1987. The first thing newcomers did was attend "The School of Standards" for two weeks that told us repeatedly that we would be targeted by spies. This video confirms what we were taught.
@@DWHistoryandCulture, absolutely. In 1989, six months before the Wall fell, and 2-3 times 1999-2002. Despite the intensity of the Cold War era, many U.S. veterans will say that Berlin is one of their favorite cities for that very reason. I love the city and remain thrilled that 100% of its residents are free because they were patient with our presence.
@@edwardloomis887 What a precious insight, thank you. Berlin is indeed such a fascinating city also due to its past(s) and there are so many stories waiting to be told. What was your favourite spot?
@@DWHistoryandCulture Starioned with Us Army for two years in Berlin 92-94. Hard to pick a favorite place in Berlin, there is so much history and culture in the city. I am a history buff so going from the West to the East was especially eye opening. It was like going back in time.
A relative of my neighbour employed by British Forces and stationed in Berlin worked in espionage for the KGB. His motive was purely from feeling overlooked for promotion. Fluent in Russian he also worked at GCHQ after returning from Germany. In 1982 he was charged with espionage and sentenced to 38 years.
@@aboukirman3508 Yes.....35 years for espionage and 3 years for child abuse. Anthony Blunt who also committed espionage simply lost his knighthood and was allowed to continue working as the Queens art adviser. But Blunt, Philby, Burgess and McLean all had Oxbridge education whilst Prime attended a college in Stoke-on-Trent.
@@Bulletguy07 It turned out that Blunt was actually a distant cousin of the Queen...which was kept quiet until recently...so he had blue blood as well as an Oxbride education!!!
One of my patients was stationed in West Berlin during the Airlift. It's where he met his beautiful Czech wife. But their relationship was not by happen chance. In postwar Berlin, the KGB rounded up pretty women from around their new territories. Sent them to places like Berlin & Vienna to mingle & collect intelligence from western allied troops. My patient was a supply SGT during the Berlin Airlift. His future wife made sure she got selected to be one of those female spies. She had plans of her own. She did supply the KGB with information for a while while she had told her love about how she was being used. So when he got orders to go back to the US, they got married the night before & they were both flown to the US. That was her plan all along. To escape the Soviet takeover. I was stationed in Berlin for 3 years in the early 80s in the intelligence field. It was like living in a spy novel.
The associate organizations of the former KGB are still doing the same thing. Look at who all the rich and powerful right wing people in the US (et al) are married to.
Actually until 1955 Vienna had the same situation. It was divided by the victorious powers. I remember because when I was in Vienna my grandmother lived in the Russian zone and when we visited her, we obviously did also. In Hallein we lived in the American zone.Also, Niederösterreich was Russian and Vienna is in that center. So, it was a similar if smaller situation as Germany.
4:50 The Ministry of State Security and the Stasi were literally one and the same. 'Stasi' is just an abbreviation for 'Staatsicherheit' (as in Ministerium für Staatssicherheit).
I just watched this documentary on Berlin and it brought back so many memories for me. A few years ago, I had the opportunity to visit Berlin multiple times for performances in the East, including at B-Flat and Haus der Sinne. The stories I heard while there were sometimes weird and even scary, but always deeply emotional. There were a few moments that I will never forget. First was my visit to Hohenshönhausen. It was a sobering experience that left me with a deeper understanding of the city's history. Second was the moment when I expressed my sympathy for a friend in East Berlin after seeing the movie "Das Leben der Anderen." She smiled briefly but then started to cry, saying that things were much worse than the movie portrayed. I also spoke with Uwe, the owner of Haus der Sinne, who shared that during his youth, leaving the city was forbidden. Now, many people can't leave because of financial constraints. Finally, I met someone who claimed to have served alongside Honecker. He showed me around East Berlin and was a wealth of information. We even went on a date at Hostaria del Monte Croce, a wonderful trattoria, but I couldn't help but feel on edge due to all the signaling going on around him. All these experiences gave me a glimpse into the complexities of Berlin. It's a city that I would love to live in if I ever get the chance. Berlin's youth culture is still very much alive and visible, but it's important to remember the city's darker history too. My brother, a journalist, once told me that young people love Berlin because it allowed them to escape conscription. I can see why - it's a truly unique and fascinating place.
Little side fact: 2016 a vietnamese manager and politician who flew to germany, got kidnapped by vietnamese secret agents in broad daylight in Berlin. He was flown to Vietnam where he admitted his guilt. Germany just realized what happened after he was on vietnamese national TV. Because of GDR and Vietnams great relationship in the past the vietnamese secret service got trained by the Stasi and is still using alot of their spying methods today, which if you consider the mentioned story seem to be still working.
Ja, ja; the great relation between the DDR and Vietnam. I was in the former DDR in the early 90s when (I was told) unemployed and crazy Essies ran through the streets of Magdeburg, Halle, and places in Leipzig chasing entrepreneurial Turks and Vietnamese, bashing them as the crowds caught up. And there I was reporting on these mishaps a fortnight later for English language press, being chased by probably the same people. Oh the ignominy of it all!
@@meeeka well as a vietnamese person who was born and raised in east berlin, I can confirm that there were violent situations between uneducated germans and my fellow vietnamese. Nonetheless I wouldn’t say that these confrontations were a majority but rather exceptions to the rule. Most of us got along very well with the germans and I don’t put a few stupid germans in the same box with the majority of the decent ones. There are bad people from every country and every political ideology.
A friend of us was a border guard of DDR. He told us that he is always afraid that his patrol mate will try to escape DDR and shoot him dead during the process.
@@DWHistoryandCulture It would be interesting to hear more Post 1990 spy incidents, more about the person thrown out of the Russian embassy, You also left out the Neo Soviet Russian assassination of a Chechnya national by a Russian agent in Berlin. Recently that murderous agent was traded on a big spy exchange.
It stands to reason that it's still a hot bed. Even after all this time, the American bases in Germany and Japan are the largest foreign ones that I know of. It stands to reason that large military bases will have intelligence assets for counter intelligence if nothing else. Developing already secure locations into a hub for intelligence reports just makes logistical sense. Since foreign governments know that the assets are there... of course they're going to try occasional, if not constant, probes and covert ops. Large cities are great cover for spies. It's really difficult for new neighbors to blend in with the locals in a rural setting. Berlin is one of the largest cities in Germany, therefore it will have spies. I'm sure the 5-10 largest cities in the US have foreign covert agents somewhere.
The traitors who claim the DDR was a “worthy idea” should be made to live in the Kolyma prison camps right after having their bones and jaws broken in Lubianka.
Thank you for watching. We welcome different perspectives that lead to lively discussions. However, we kindly ask you to maintain a respectful attitude towards other users and opinions.
okay omar, tell me why Berlin is the spy capital of the world. and dont forget that the video ended with the question "Is berlin the spy capital of the world"? DW publishes nothing but garbage and greenie garbage.
My favorite spy thriller is Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy. Both the book and movie are great. A Most Wanted Man (the movie) is really good. I 'm going to start reading The Little Drummer Girl by Le Carre. Also, big fan of the Mission Impossible movies.
Why Berlin documentary. This was quite fascinating. I’ve always been intrigued with the spy world. Our neighbors are from Germany (they’re now U.S. citizens). The husband was from East Germany but spied for West Germany (where his wife is from). It’s incredibly enthralling to listen to his recounts and stories of spying. Thank you for sharing this documentary on TH-cam. 🌴☀️🌴
In May 1989, we (from Hamburg, Germany) spent our Abifahrt (Highschool Graduation Trip) in West Berlin. Mandatory D-Mark to Ost Mark exchange, the metro that did not stop at the East-Berlin stations, closed Brandenburger Tor from the east, empty shopping windows, individual passport control at Friedrichstraße (that was the scariest part!) I am so proud and grateful for all the East Germans.They were brave enough to take to the streets. They all broke the wall.
Great documentary! I recall traveling through it all during the 60s, 70s and 80s…we all carried coins in case we had to use a public phone! It’s all rather comical now with our cell phones but strangely eerie during the Cold War.
Another excellent documentary film, thank u DW! On the other hand u need to make all the no longer available documentaries available again at least to subscribed users! A lot of great stuff have been lost!
I remember flying into Berlin in 89, travelling through the corridor being stopped at checkpoints by Russian soldiers. Seeing the Sanger’s from ww2 either side of the corridor was scary at the time as I was only 19. Served in Berlin for 2 years knocking that wall down in my uniform.
Pretty disgusting. People were tortured and killed yet people who facilitated this are presented here as heroes and can walk around freely and without shame. Disgusting to say the least.
The hint is in the name, cold WAR! People die in wartime, its an unavoidable fact. People also survive war and if they are deemed not to have committed crimes, they go home.
@@funbarsolaris2822 Clearly that's why the Soviets/East Germany had to build a wall! They were just the same as the West and that's why they had a problem of people running from them to the evil West!!1!! /s
I went to Potsdammer park 10 years ago, to play with a street theatre band. Even to this day eastern germans do not express themselves in public, look straight ahead, look through you. We walked to the parc dressed in fluoresant ballet cloths, but in the road, on the buses no one smiled or looked at us ! Once in the parc the atmosphere was compleatly different, more festive. We were told this was from during the cold war, when everyone felt surveyed.
" no one smiled or looked at us". Why should anyone care about you? Seems you a very self centered. You know how many events, demonstration and people are around the Berlin Area every day. You really believe your fancy theatre dress is something special here to witness 🤣. Just yesterday a women and a men with two huge american bald eagles on their arms moved along my street from a movie set, that is something i stop for. Beautiful Animals. I have seen famous people going into the same grocery store like me, i do not care. They have a right on a normal live and not to be bothered like anybody else. If you want to be seen you will have to step up your game in Berlin Area.
I am from berlin and thats not true at all😂I dont know which person told you that, but that is so wrong it just can be a lie. Its the german mentality in general and has nothing to do with the cold war.
Its feels the same in Austria, but generally once you make contact you realize the person is just reserved not plotting or paranoid. As a South African (Black) I found this weird at first as a man wonders sometimes. Luckily I come from a place where a conversation can and will happen at any time with strangers and when I apply this mentality with Austrians & Germans, I'm always pleasantly surprised by the warm reception. Whenever I'm in South Africa, I miss the calm, when I'm in Austria/Germany I miss the interactivity. @@tre641
It's troubling to see someone who spied for the KGB just standing there smiling. It's like hearing someone say, 'I worked for the Nazis. It was fun; we traveled a lot,' and then see them smile about it. People like that should be in jail. Unfortunately, soviet crimes weren't condemned enough. This has translated into many misconceptions about russia as well, with people not realizing how imperialistic and fascist they are.
Well said. Soviets were pure evil. They even treated their own poorly even when they were for the Soviets. America never gulaged their own, or England. People were jailed in gulags for petty things and many times nothing at all. Communism is pure evil and terroristic, totaltarian and brutal.
I felt this `Capitol of Cold War`, when I was a child, when I was a nearly grown up... and after Glasnost 1989... suddenly feeling old, a part of present history within the span of a lifetime... suffered mostly at Checkpoint Charly, a symbol like Omaha Beach... for the blessed life, I was allowed to live. Kneeling down: Thanks to all, who fought for that. Respect and Remembrance to those, who died on those bloody beaches and those silly borders.
I have a few and that includes underappreciated ' Spy game' (2001), 'Red Sparrow' (2018) or 'Jack Strong' (2014); also classic Bourne trilogy. Cities that these takes place are Berlin, Budapest, Warsaw, Moscow. Certainly, my heart goes with central and eastern location across the Europe :)
How are these people allowed to walk fee having worked for a literal terror apparatus which persecuted and tortured people? Despicable to say the least and questionable choice of interviewees..
Exactly. Blows my mind, as well. Oh "we never killed anyone" - yea, but thanks to you countless people may have been kidnapped, tortured and then killed. But of course - not by you. WTF.
Well done. Been a few years since I lived in Berlin. Still remember visiting the Stassi museum. Interesting. The spooks are interesting folks. Run across them in my line of work, some are friends.
@@skipstopstart Yes there is - it's the Espionage Museum in Berlin, it's well worth visiting. There are also various guided tours in Berlin where you can find out about escape tunnels and how the U-bahn employees got out of East Berlin and so on.
Fascinating on edge account of the Cold War era. Excellent insights for Spy 📚 and 🎬 ; of more importance is the delicate balance of diplomatic coexistence between the East & the West. 🤝 We all need Peace✌️
During the cold war, Vienna is probably the city with the best claim to being the spy capital of the Cold War. These days, its more industrial espionage than standard spying.
@@60iger29 Thanks for answering. Hopefully Russia will be offered neutrality after Putin has a stroke and new elections are called. They won't be fair elections but hopefully whoever is elected won't distract from problems at home by waging war abroad.
@@skipstopstart Vienna was splitted into 4 occupation-zones from 1945 - 1955 as like as Berlin.... even whole Austria was splitted at that time into 4 occupation-zones amongst USA, Russia, UK and France as same as like Germany.
@@michaelgrabner8977 Ey, danke für die Info Michael, lag es also im Fall Deutschlands eher daß die Russen nicht ihren Sektor aufgegeben hätten; oder eher daß Westdeutschland keine Neutralität wollte?
I lived on Gatow from 1977 til 1981 and 1983 til 1987. The Stasi agents on the camp were always known and thats why they were kept out of Hangar 4 where my dad worked. I lived this life a long time and I am now living back in Germany
@@poisonivy8862not all the time. it’s mostly people who can pick up languages quickly no matter if you’ve studied them or not. it’s certain specific character traits they look for not just what language marks u get on exams.
@@rosalindgrxc0eExactly. The tradecraft and languages can be taught far easier than critical thinking skills, inquisitive nature and a willingness to learn. That and a rock hard idealism. Both sides openly say the same.
20:35 as a Jewish person myself I have to disagree with not only the “experiment” but supporting the GDR after having so many SS members train the Stasi and continuing the atrocities of the Einsatzgruppen.
"hired" better said would be forced, if they declined they would be blackmailed and tortured. I have seen the inside of those Stasi prisons. What these prisoners suffert through is unimaginable
Fantastic mini documentary @DW. One would be shocked how many worked on all sides. Berlin, Vienna, DC, NYC, Moscow, Mexico City, California and London all home to so many spies. To a lesser extend Switzerland as well. It is a never ending "game" and never was cold and never ended really. The public has no clue how deep the rabbit hole goes. All this for simply who runs what. In the end it boils down to politics and ideology. Each side wanting to be best, pride, ego, and more all at play. It also boils down to rights and who has less ill will and "goodness". In the end, it is people that make up countries, groups, organizations and countries. People can be evil, or good, or a mix. And until folks realize that these issues will continue. Same can be said of politics. Sadly far too many have paid hefty prices on all sides. Humans being humans. Few understan that by doing bad things it won't make you a better person or fix something broken. Flawed thinking from the get go. Rich food and much wisdom for thought.
Historical account refraining from investigating the slightest of Chinese, Vietnamese, North Korean or Iranian activity around city and country. About Russian activity only the spectacular... Der deutsche Michel schläft weiter...
“… along with Russia freed the city”. Please, it’s not Russia but Soviet Union, the part of it was also Ukraine, Belarus and many other republics. And rather not freed, but occupied
Spying is boring job but definitely deathly and glamorously by Hollywood and movie maker, "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" , "The Americans" . When the Berlin Wall fell, the one who was most disappointed was and still is Mr. Putin.
The husband of my sister is working for the BND (the German Secret Servic) in Berlin. He can tell us that he is working for them, but he can never tell us what exactly his job is. Not even my sister knows. It's weird.
What a coincidence!! Was in Berlin during the Easter weekend and was telling my wife how Berlin was the hot place of spies from many countries...and I see this video in my recommendation today. Haha.
Why Berlin? Because it’s the only place in the world where the USA and USSR lived next door to each other, with overlooking plots.
Was also the case in Vienna for a time.
@@erik_griswold Vienna is where we are and Vienna is still a bit like that. The Russian “residential” compound is within walking distance of where we live.
Hahahaha.....Lmfao
The Soviet Union left the Eastern Europe so that the US would turn those counties into NATOstan and then blow up Nordstream to punish their servant states for dealing with Russia.
Why not Vienna? it was actually the buffer zone for both blocks.
Served with U.S. forces in Berlin, 1984-1987. The first thing newcomers did was attend "The School of Standards" for two weeks that told us repeatedly that we would be targeted by spies. This video confirms what we were taught.
Thanks so much for sharing your experience here. Have you ever been to Berlin again after 1987?
@@DWHistoryandCulture, absolutely. In 1989, six months before the Wall fell, and 2-3 times 1999-2002. Despite the intensity of the Cold War era, many U.S. veterans will say that Berlin is one of their favorite cities for that very reason. I love the city and remain thrilled that 100% of its residents are free because they were patient with our presence.
@@edwardloomis887 What a precious insight, thank you. Berlin is indeed such a fascinating city also due to its past(s) and there are so many stories waiting to be told. What was your favourite spot?
@@DWHistoryandCulture Starioned with Us Army for two years in Berlin 92-94. Hard to pick a favorite place in Berlin, there is so much history and culture in the city. I am a history buff so going from the West to the East was especially eye opening. It was like going back in time.
@DW History and Culture , loved my favorite Dahlem neighborhood club for its gemütlichkeit and going to Green Week/Grüene Woche each year.
A relative of my neighbour employed by British Forces and stationed in Berlin worked in espionage for the KGB. His motive was purely from feeling overlooked for promotion. Fluent in Russian he also worked at GCHQ after returning from Germany. In 1982 he was charged with espionage and sentenced to 38 years.
Geoffrey Prime...a child abuser, as well as a spy.
@@aboukirman3508 Yes.....35 years for espionage and 3 years for child abuse. Anthony Blunt who also committed espionage simply lost his knighthood and was allowed to continue working as the Queens art adviser. But Blunt, Philby, Burgess and McLean all had Oxbridge education whilst Prime attended a college in Stoke-on-Trent.
@@Bulletguy07 It turned out that Blunt was actually a distant cousin of the Queen...which was kept quiet until recently...so he had blue blood as well as an Oxbride education!!!
@@aboukirman3508 Yes it just goes to show how this country still supports 'class' and the old boy network.
I hope those Americans that worked for stasi had their citizenship revoked! Then they laugh about like it was nothing. So messed up
26 minutes and 7 seconds of pure entertainment combined with knowledge, great work by whoever made that movie 👍
??
25:50
Lived in West Berlin throughout the 80’s. Still the most surreal period of my life so far. Interesting doc. Cheers. 🙏🏼
you should write a memoire to share your experience!
One of my patients was stationed in West Berlin during the Airlift. It's where he met his beautiful Czech wife. But their relationship was not by happen chance. In postwar Berlin, the KGB rounded up pretty women from around their new territories. Sent them to places like Berlin & Vienna to mingle & collect intelligence from western allied troops. My patient was a supply SGT during the Berlin Airlift. His future wife made sure she got selected to be one of those female spies. She had plans of her own. She did supply the KGB with information for a while while she had told her love about how she was being used. So when he got orders to go back to the US, they got married the night before & they were both flown to the US. That was her plan all along. To escape the Soviet takeover. I was stationed in Berlin for 3 years in the early 80s in the intelligence field. It was like living in a spy novel.
Thank you for sharing your story. We appreciate you taking the time to share your experiences with our community.
The associate organizations of the former KGB are still doing the same thing. Look at who all the rich and powerful right wing people in the US (et al) are married to.
Actually until 1955 Vienna had the same situation. It was divided by the victorious powers. I remember because when I was in Vienna my grandmother lived in the Russian zone and when we visited her, we obviously did also. In Hallein we lived in the American zone.Also, Niederösterreich was Russian and Vienna is in that center. So, it was a similar if smaller situation as Germany.
Your input is valued by us and the community-thank you for sharing.
Yes Vienna being neutral also was a major hub for both sides.
4:50 The Ministry of State Security and the Stasi were literally one and the same. 'Stasi' is just an abbreviation for 'Staatsicherheit' (as in Ministerium für Staatssicherheit).
I just watched this documentary on Berlin and it brought back so many memories for me. A few years ago, I had the opportunity to visit Berlin multiple times for performances in the East, including at B-Flat and Haus der Sinne. The stories I heard while there were sometimes weird and even scary, but always deeply emotional. There were a few moments that I will never forget.
First was my visit to Hohenshönhausen. It was a sobering experience that left me with a deeper understanding of the city's history. Second was the moment when I expressed my sympathy for a friend in East Berlin after seeing the movie "Das Leben der Anderen." She smiled briefly but then started to cry, saying that things were much worse than the movie portrayed.
I also spoke with Uwe, the owner of Haus der Sinne, who shared that during his youth, leaving the city was forbidden. Now, many people can't leave because of financial constraints. Finally, I met someone who claimed to have served alongside Honecker. He showed me around East Berlin and was a wealth of information. We even went on a date at Hostaria del Monte Croce, a wonderful trattoria, but I couldn't help but feel on edge due to all the signaling going on around him.
All these experiences gave me a glimpse into the complexities of Berlin. It's a city that I would love to live in if I ever get the chance. Berlin's youth culture is still very much alive and visible, but it's important to remember the city's darker history too. My brother, a journalist, once told me that young people love Berlin because it allowed them to escape conscription. I can see why - it's a truly unique and fascinating place.
Love that film 🎥
I live in tower block on social housing estate in Manchester and my best friend calls it Stasi Land round here. 🤕
Little side fact:
2016 a vietnamese manager and politician who flew to germany, got kidnapped by vietnamese secret agents in broad daylight in Berlin. He was flown to Vietnam where he admitted his guilt. Germany just realized what happened after he was on vietnamese national TV. Because of GDR and Vietnams great relationship in the past the vietnamese secret service got trained by the Stasi and is still using alot of their spying methods today, which if you consider the mentioned story seem to be still working.
Ja, ja; the great relation between the DDR and Vietnam. I was in the former DDR in the early 90s when (I was told) unemployed and crazy Essies ran through the streets of Magdeburg, Halle, and places in Leipzig chasing entrepreneurial Turks and Vietnamese, bashing them as the crowds caught up. And there I was reporting on these mishaps a fortnight later for English language press, being chased by probably the same people. Oh the ignominy of it all!
@@meeeka well as a vietnamese person who was born and raised in east berlin, I can confirm that there were violent situations between uneducated germans and my fellow vietnamese. Nonetheless I wouldn’t say that these confrontations were a majority but rather exceptions to the rule. Most of us got along very well with the germans and I don’t put a few stupid germans in the same box with the majority of the decent ones. There are bad people from every country and every political ideology.
Yep, he was transported through Slovakia, and come to Vietnam by our special government plane.
Nobody is in jail for that.
A friend of us was a border guard of DDR. He told us that he is always afraid that his patrol mate will try to escape DDR and shoot him dead during the process.
Oh, that sounds terrifying indeed! Thanks for sharing.
It would also come down to has the McDonald supplies in stock. From small to large.
I'm a huge espionage fan. It's VERY hard to come up with new material. But, you guys did it. My only complaint is that is not an hour long.
We're glad you liked the documentary. Make sure to subscribe to our channel for the latest uploads.
@@DWHistoryandCulture
It would be interesting to hear more Post 1990 spy incidents, more about the person thrown out of the Russian embassy, You also left out the Neo Soviet Russian assassination of a Chechnya national by a Russian agent in Berlin. Recently that murderous agent was traded on a big spy exchange.
It stands to reason that it's still a hot bed. Even after all this time, the American bases in Germany and Japan are the largest foreign ones that I know of. It stands to reason that large military bases will have intelligence assets for counter intelligence if nothing else. Developing already secure locations into a hub for intelligence reports just makes logistical sense. Since foreign governments know that the assets are there... of course they're going to try occasional, if not constant, probes and covert ops. Large cities are great cover for spies. It's really difficult for new neighbors to blend in with the locals in a rural setting. Berlin is one of the largest cities in Germany, therefore it will have spies. I'm sure the 5-10 largest cities in the US have foreign covert agents somewhere.
The traitors who claim the DDR was a “worthy idea” should be made to live in the Kolyma prison camps right after having their bones and jaws broken in Lubianka.
Thank you for watching. We welcome different perspectives that lead to lively discussions. However, we kindly ask you to maintain a respectful attitude towards other users and opinions.
Brilliant work. This channel always publishes the highest quality whilst being so entertaining 👏☺️👍
oh, thank you very much, Omar, we appreciate your comment very much. Stay tuned 🤓
@@DWHistoryandCulture You’re very welcome DW History and Culture 😊 I’ve subscribed, given a thumbs up and I now look forward to the next one 👍
okay omar, tell me why Berlin is the spy capital of the world. and dont forget that the video ended with the question "Is berlin the spy capital of the world"? DW publishes nothing but garbage and greenie garbage.
My favorite spy thriller is Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy. Both the book and movie are great. A Most Wanted Man (the movie) is really good. I 'm going to start reading The Little Drummer Girl by Le Carre. Also, big fan of the Mission Impossible movies.
Good movies ,.
Have you seen series: Rubicon? And the Bourne chase?😊
Watch the series with sir Alec guiness it’s awesome !
Add "The American's" and "The Company" to your list of ones to watch.
Why Berlin documentary.
This was quite fascinating. I’ve always been intrigued with the spy world.
Our neighbors are from Germany (they’re now U.S. citizens). The husband was from East Germany but spied for West Germany (where his wife is from). It’s incredibly enthralling to listen to his recounts and stories of spying.
Thank you for sharing this documentary on TH-cam.
🌴☀️🌴
Wife ruled for sure 😅
The satisfaction on the faces of the soviet spies makes me sick.
I thought people get jailed for spying.
Seems I'm wrong.
@@RUHappyATM All of CIA would be in jail if that was true.
In May 1989, we (from Hamburg, Germany) spent our Abifahrt (Highschool Graduation Trip) in West Berlin.
Mandatory D-Mark to Ost Mark exchange, the metro that did not stop at the East-Berlin stations, closed Brandenburger Tor from the east, empty shopping windows, individual passport control at Friedrichstraße (that was the scariest part!)
I am so proud and grateful for all the East Germans.They were brave enough to take to the streets. They all broke the wall.
Thanks for sharing your experience and memories with us and our community!
Great research. Worth watching till the end, I truly enjoyed every minute. Thank you!
Thanks, Rainer, glad to hear that! 🕵🏻♂️
Great documentary! I recall traveling through it all during the 60s, 70s and 80s…we all carried coins in case we had to use a public phone! It’s all rather comical now with our cell phones but strangely eerie during the Cold War.
Another excellent documentary film, thank u DW! On the other hand u need to make all the no longer available documentaries available again at least to subscribed users! A lot of great stuff have been lost!
The Cold War Never Ended.
I remember flying into Berlin in 89, travelling through the corridor being stopped at checkpoints by Russian soldiers. Seeing the Sanger’s from ww2 either side of the corridor was scary at the time as I was only 19. Served in Berlin for 2 years knocking that wall down in my uniform.
Guess you were one of the gazillian tourists every year.
Andrew
Being severed in Berlin must have been an ordeal.
What part of you did they cut off?
😝
You must have very interesting stories to tell!
Wow, super. I would like to come to Berlin and see it all. What a city full of history.
Great city
History and Skeletons
Fantastic city and wonderful people.
Will be returning next year.
Make sure you visit,you won’t regret it!
Come, come. Be careful, I came and now I’m staying.
Pretty disgusting. People were tortured and killed yet people who facilitated this are presented here as heroes and can walk around freely and without shame. Disgusting to say the least.
Same can be said for any military personelle serving for the US or UK though. They were all doing the same things
Don't compare the Stasi, KGB, AVS and other Eastern Bloc security agencies with CIA, MI6 or BND. Those Commie SOBs were absolute monsters.
@@funbarsolaris2822 Ofc, but this dude doesn´t want to see that.
The hint is in the name, cold WAR! People die in wartime, its an unavoidable fact. People also survive war and if they are deemed not to have committed crimes, they go home.
@@funbarsolaris2822 Clearly that's why the Soviets/East Germany had to build a wall! They were just the same as the West and that's why they had a problem of people running from them to the evil West!!1!! /s
I went to Potsdammer park 10 years ago, to play with a street theatre band. Even to this day eastern germans do not express themselves in public, look straight ahead, look through you. We walked to the parc dressed in fluoresant ballet cloths, but in the road, on the buses no one smiled or looked at us ! Once in the parc the atmosphere was compleatly different, more festive.
We were told this was from during the cold war, when everyone felt surveyed.
" no one smiled or looked at us". Why should anyone care about you? Seems you a very self centered. You know how many events, demonstration and people are around the Berlin Area every day. You really believe your fancy theatre dress is something special here to witness 🤣. Just yesterday a women and a men with two huge american bald eagles on their arms moved along my street from a movie set, that is something i stop for. Beautiful Animals. I have seen famous people going into the same grocery store like me, i do not care. They have a right on a normal live and not to be bothered like anybody else. If you want to be seen you will have to step up your game in Berlin Area.
I am from berlin and thats not true at all😂I dont know which person told you that, but that is so wrong it just can be a lie. Its the german mentality in general and has nothing to do with the cold war.
Its feels the same in Austria, but generally once you make contact you realize the person is just reserved not plotting or paranoid. As a South African (Black) I found this weird at first as a man wonders sometimes. Luckily I come from a place where a conversation can and will happen at any time with strangers and when I apply this mentality with Austrians & Germans, I'm always pleasantly surprised by the warm reception. Whenever I'm in South Africa, I miss the calm, when I'm in Austria/Germany I miss the interactivity. @@tre641
It's troubling to see someone who spied for the KGB just standing there smiling. It's like hearing someone say, 'I worked for the Nazis. It was fun; we traveled a lot,' and then see them smile about it. People like that should be in jail.
Unfortunately, soviet crimes weren't condemned enough. This has translated into many misconceptions about russia as well, with people not realizing how imperialistic and fascist they are.
Well said. Soviets were pure evil. They even treated their own poorly even when they were for the Soviets. America never gulaged their own, or England. People were jailed in gulags for petty things and many times nothing at all. Communism is pure evil and terroristic, totaltarian and brutal.
I felt this `Capitol of Cold War`, when I was a child, when I was a nearly grown up... and after Glasnost 1989... suddenly feeling old, a part of present history within the span of a lifetime... suffered mostly at Checkpoint Charly, a symbol like Omaha Beach... for the blessed life, I was allowed to live.
Kneeling down: Thanks to all, who fought for that. Respect and Remembrance to those, who died on those bloody beaches and those silly borders.
Fascinating documentary, reflecting both the past and present. Exciting, interesting and informative.
Thanks a lot, Elizabeth, for your kind words.
Ich finde die Doku war super. Allerdings solltet ihr als öffentlich-rechtlich bezahlter Sender die Werbung bei TH-cam ausschalten!
Great piece! Loved The Traitor and the Spy by Ben Macintyre, his book Double Cross also excellent.
The Honourable Woman is my favorite and the most realist spy thriller ever made! the night manager series is also a great one!
" Barlin Station" one of my best spy movie collections.
I have a few and that includes underappreciated ' Spy game' (2001), 'Red Sparrow' (2018) or 'Jack Strong' (2014); also classic Bourne trilogy. Cities that these takes place are Berlin, Budapest, Warsaw, Moscow. Certainly, my heart goes with central and eastern location across the Europe :)
Great shout!
Kind of cute how they portray these spy couples 😍
How are these people allowed to walk fee having worked for a literal terror apparatus which persecuted and tortured people? Despicable to say the least and questionable choice of interviewees..
Exactly. Blows my mind, as well. Oh "we never killed anyone" - yea, but thanks to you countless people may have been kidnapped, tortured and then killed. But of course - not by you. WTF.
They are part of the tyrannic system
Well done. Been a few years since I lived in Berlin. Still remember visiting the Stassi museum. Interesting. The spooks are interesting folks. Run across them in my line of work, some are friends.
True, super weird there's no museum for whatever the western version of the Stasi was though.
@@skipstopstart Yes there is - it's the Espionage Museum in Berlin, it's well worth visiting. There are also various guided tours in Berlin where you can find out about escape tunnels and how the U-bahn employees got out of East Berlin and so on.
@@franc9111 Oh yeah I know, I was born in Berlin, that's the Museum that portrays the Stasi as being the only bad guys in the equation Lol
KFC and KGB 😂 WHAT A COINCIDENCE 21:18
Fascinating on edge account of the Cold War era.
Excellent insights for Spy 📚 and 🎬 ; of more importance is the delicate balance of diplomatic coexistence between the East & the West. 🤝
We all need Peace✌️
Gefällt mir gut. Schön gemacht und informativ.
During the cold war, Vienna is probably the city with the best claim to being the spy capital of the Cold War. These days, its more industrial espionage than standard spying.
Why was Vienna never split into sectors after Austria lost WW2?
@@skipstopstart It was but then Austria pledged to be neutral and got it's freedom in return.
@@60iger29 Thanks for answering. Hopefully Russia will be offered neutrality after Putin has a stroke and new elections are called. They won't be fair elections but hopefully whoever is elected won't distract from problems at home by waging war abroad.
@@skipstopstart Vienna was splitted into 4 occupation-zones from 1945 - 1955 as like as Berlin.... even whole Austria was splitted at that time into 4 occupation-zones amongst USA, Russia, UK and France as same as like Germany.
@@michaelgrabner8977 Ey, danke für die Info Michael, lag es also im Fall Deutschlands eher daß die Russen nicht ihren Sektor aufgegeben hätten; oder eher daß Westdeutschland keine Neutralität wollte?
Great video, thanks.
My favourite spy stories are Le Care's Tinker Tailor, and Smiley's People; and those of Frederick Forsyth.
Watching from my couch in Berlin 😊
your tv / laptop / phone may be spying on you - check the adds popping up with shopping suggestions
I lived on Gatow from 1977 til 1981 and 1983 til 1987. The Stasi agents on the camp were always known and thats why they were kept out of Hangar 4 where my dad worked. I lived this life a long time and I am now living back in Germany
I thought would be about the situation nowadays because in the title it said "Still the spy city", but that's completely historical content
Just look at the English of the former spies... Fluent and no accents!!! They are trained sooo well
They've always recruited most from language students
@@poisonivy8862not all the time. it’s mostly people who can pick up languages quickly no matter if you’ve studied them or not. it’s certain specific character traits they look for not just what language marks u get on exams.
@@poisonivy8862this confirmed in Killing Eve
@@rosalindgrxc0eExactly. The tradecraft and languages can be taught far easier than critical thinking skills, inquisitive nature and a willingness to learn. That and a rock hard idealism. Both sides openly say the same.
I would love to see more Cold War movies, especially one about the Stasi
Wow what a documentary. I live in Berlin and we are all just blissfully unaware of what is happening in the underground of this city. So crazy😂
Yes, it‘s quite a mysterious city our good old Berlin!!
اتمنى من قناتكم ان تقوم بترجمة هذا الوثائقي
Goto top and click on closed captions or use Google live transcribe.
Up to the mark, wow!! awesome work im your new subscriber🎉🎉
Thanks a lot for watching and for your positive feedback. We appreciate you taking the time to comment and are glad you like our content!
@@DWHistoryandCulture your welcome 🥰
A really good documentation. Gave me a fascinating insight
Glad you enjoyed it! Thank you.
@@DWHistoryandCulture I'm looking forward to a sequel
I remember watching a TV series called Berlin Station, highly recommended sadly only went for 2 seasons.
Those two Americans should be ashamed. I don’t think they are.
I don’t think they are American, they were just stationed in the US
I hope they don’t live around vengeful neighbors who suffered under communism- they don’t deserve to be harmed
20:35 as a Jewish person myself I have to disagree with not only the “experiment” but supporting the GDR after having so many SS members train the Stasi and continuing the atrocities of the Einsatzgruppen.
"hired" better said would be forced, if they declined they would be blackmailed and tortured. I have seen the inside of those Stasi prisons. What these prisoners suffert through is unimaginable
The one true crime in this video is mrs. Shevitz' wig
I had to scroll this far to see someone mention it
@@Agencetourix and I am glad you did, handsome bearded man :D
Jesus Christ! It's Jason Bourne.
My favourite film about Spies is
Tinker,Tailor,Soldier,Spy based on the book of the same name by John Le Carre.
Oh yes, John Le Carré is such a mastermind! Thanks for sharing this film here.
Favourite spy thriller? The Game, Set and Match trilogy by Len Deighton. Superb.
Those two traitors, Schevitzs, got 18 months in jail and a light fine. The way they smile in this docu turns my stomach.
very interesting 👍👍👍
Fantastic mini documentary @DW. One would be shocked how many worked on all sides. Berlin, Vienna, DC, NYC, Moscow, Mexico City, California and London all home to so many spies. To a lesser extend Switzerland as well. It is a never ending "game" and never was cold and never ended really. The public has no clue how deep the rabbit hole goes. All this for simply who runs what. In the end it boils down to politics and ideology. Each side wanting to be best, pride, ego, and more all at play. It also boils down to rights and who has less ill will and "goodness". In the end, it is people that make up countries, groups, organizations and countries. People can be evil, or good, or a mix. And until folks realize that these issues will continue. Same can be said of politics. Sadly far too many have paid hefty prices on all sides. Humans being humans. Few understan that by doing bad things it won't make you a better person or fix something broken. Flawed thinking from the get go. Rich food and much wisdom for thought.
Hey @AldoSchmedack! Thank you for your words, we're glad you liked it! 😊
Was in Berlin just after the wall was coming down.. i have never seen anything like that. Talk about being Young and American. ☄️
This is so interesting DW, any plans to make it a whole series documentary on this topic?
Oh, thank you! We’ll see if there is a way to tell more of those stories here. Stay tuned 👏🏻
Fascinating !
James Bond?
The Man without face?
Good stuff
Good vid 👏
I wonder if they have a Hitman on theirs head by an old enemy after this interview
I do not understand spying for such evil.
Historical account refraining from investigating the slightest of Chinese, Vietnamese, North Korean or Iranian activity around city and country. About Russian activity only the spectacular... Der deutsche Michel schläft weiter...
Thanks
“… along with Russia freed the city”. Please, it’s not Russia but Soviet Union, the part of it was also Ukraine, Belarus and many other republics. And rather not freed, but occupied
I am hereby to confirm that DW is now a leading source of knowledge.
I thought i would have seen at least one clip from the Movie "The lives of Others" but good micro-doc!
and silly me thought it started from constant wars between german tribes, as described by Tacitus
wow amazing video! very informative 🕶️
John Le Carre best author on Dying, my favourite is " The Spy Who Came In From The Cold" and " The Ipcross File"
Spying,,,,,dying?????
Thanks for sharing!
Spying is boring job but definitely deathly and glamorously by Hollywood and movie maker, "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" , "The Americans" . When the Berlin Wall fell, the one who was most disappointed was and still is Mr. Putin.
@1:57 Please not do that mistake again, the allies during ww2 was between USA, UK, France alongside Soviet Union, not Russia !!!
Be careful of man who approach you and ask. " Who am I?" 🧐🧐🧐
Idk if whoever made this is aware but the Bourne Identity and it’s sequels were not spy movies and never features espionage as far as I can remember.
Very interesting.
Thank you! 😊
The husband of my sister is working for the BND (the German Secret Servic) in Berlin. He can tell us that he is working for them, but he can never tell us what exactly his job is. Not even my sister knows. It's weird.
she probably knows, just not telling you she knows :)
just the information about his job won't be helpful anyway
There working on creating ww3 and spying on there own citizens
What a coincidence!! Was in Berlin during the Easter weekend and was telling my wife how Berlin was the hot place of spies from many countries...and I see this video in my recommendation today. Haha.
That’s nice to hear! Have you visited any of the places mentioned?
@@DWHistoryandCulture we were at the Bahnhof strasse and the Berlin Wall, of course. I'll come back soon. Berlin is very beautiful.
1:37 The Berlin Wall fell in 1989 and not as told in 1999
El examen!
@2:10. The music reminds me at Super Mario's Ghost House. Which is extremely appropriate for a spy video.
This has been a nice report. Thanks for the upload!
I could make comments from Paris.But this is too dangerous. Paris has always been v dangerous too.And...still is.
Sucks you didn't get an interview with the madman currently in Moscow 😂
As always french intelligence is missing 😂
Favourite film is "Funeral in Berlin". Spent a lot of time there in the early 70's.
Actually, I’d say Geneva is the capital of world spies…
What is my favorite spy thriller? Nothing beats Funeral in Berlin (1966).
Super interesting.
The Truman show in real life Cold War Berlin. Truman show rn.
Fascinating and insightful!
Dank dem Handy ist die 'Arbeit' heute nimmer so mühsam und langweilig. Gut laufen vor allen die Nebengeschäfte. Machen ja die Anderen auch.
@deutschewelle Is this documention available in German?
Here you go :)
th-cam.com/video/aZuOI8OFTIE/w-d-xo.html
Wieso laufen diese Säcke frei rum?