Spalinger case

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Spalinger case refers to the incidents involving a man of unknown origin named Spalinger, who appeared in various Berlin districts in May 1945 as city ​​commander without any legitimation from the Soviet headquarters . The man's first name, origin and further life data are unknown.

The course of events was also described by Wolfgang Leonhard in his book The Revolution dismisses her children .

procedure

Spalinger and other inmates were "liberated" from the Wittenau lunatic asylum by the Red Army against their will as supposedly politically imprisoned .

In the vicinity of the institution they found and occupied the only functioning printing works in Berlin. Spalinger managed to pass himself off as the Berlin city commander and to have his orders and directives printed and distributed for the various Berlin districts , which caused confusion in the self-government organs set up by the Soviets.

Spalinger's main task was not the urgently needed elimination of technical and economic grievances (the instructions of the real city commander, General Nikolai Bersarin , mainly concerned electricity, water, and food supplies), but rather "in the name of the Berlin Workers and Soldiers " Immediate arrest of all members of the National Socialist Party and its branches.

When special detachments actually emerged and Spalinger's directives were followed, which opposed the work of the Ulbricht group , the alleged counter-commander was sought by Ulbricht's comrades and arrested by the Russians.

Its later trace was lost, according to rumors it came to the English in Reinickendorf and, when it was handed over to the French occupying powers , to a prison .

meaning

In the end, Spalinger's action had no lasting effect on the occupation policy, but during his brief period there was a risk that the Soviet efforts would be blocked as quickly as possible to establish functioning district administrations according to Soviet ideas before the Western Allies, and thus the status quo to back up.

literature

  • Wolfgang Leonhard : The revolution dismisses its children . Kiepenheuer and Witsch, Cologne 1955 / Wilhelm Heyne Verlag, Munich 1985, p. 324 ff.