Horst Erdmann

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Horst Erdmann (born January 31, 1919 in Breslau ; † between 1993 and 1999; pseudonym Dr. Theo Friedenau ) was a functionary of the German Labor Front , impostor , intelligence agent and publisher . In the period from 1949 to 1958 he was the first head of the Investigative Committee of Freedom Jurists (UFJ).

Notoriety

Erdmann was known to the German public under his pseudonym Dr. Theo Friedenau is known for having set up the investigative committee of freedom lawyers from West Berlin together with like-minded people and with the financial support of the CIA , as its first head. Before working in West Berlin, he had worked as a lawyer in Belzig in Brandenburg and got to know some injustices in the Soviet Zone .

The UFJ worked as legal advice for GDR citizens. In doing so, information from all areas of society in the GDR was collected and a “burden database” was set up. Threatening letters were sent to people who the UfJ suspected of being close to the regime. Horst Erdmann always attached great importance to the non-violence of the activities. He also stressed that he had nothing to do with secret services, although he had already been signed by the CIA officer Henry Hecksher at the beginning of his UfJ activity .

Exposure and fall

On June 25, 1958, the Ministry for State Security of the GDR accused Horst Erdmann of conspiracy, lying and his Nazi past.

  • Horst Erdmann had stated several times that he was born on January 3, 1911 in Lübeck . In fact, he was born on January 31, 1919 in Breslau.
  • His claim that his mother was Jewish was wrong .
  • His professional career was invented: he studied in Berlin and Breslau from 1930 to 1933, passed the trainee exam in 1933, received his doctorate in 1934 , passed the assessor exam in 1936 and worked as a company lawyer from 1936 to 1944 . In fact, Erdmann was not enrolled in Breslau until September 26, 1940 . He never took a state law exam. He stole his position as a lawyer and notary in Belzig by using false papers.
  • The affidavit that he was never a member of the NSDAP was also untruthful. Horst Erdmann was a member of the NSDAP, Hitler Youth regular leader, head of the social department of the Hitler Youth area management, Gau youth officer of the German Labor Front and Gau representative for the war career competition .

After the allegations became known, the UFJ and Horst Erdmann initially dismissed them. Not least because of the urging of the Federal Ministry for All-German Issues , at which Horst Erdmann headed the Institute for Eastern Law , the UFJ soon distinguished itself from him. On July 7, 1958, he resigned from his position as head of the UFJ.

Publishing activity

After his departure from the investigative committee of freedom lawyers, Horst Erdmann worked as a publisher in his publishing house for international cultural exchange founded in 1956, which moved to Tübingen in 1967 under the name Horst Erdmann publishing house for international cultural exchange . After a change of ownership, the publisher bears the name Edition Erdmann .

literature

  • Frank Hagemann: The investigation committee of freedom lawyers 1949-1969. Dissertation, University of Kiel, 1994, ISBN 3-631-47716-3 .

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b G. Bailey, S. Kondraschow , D. Murphy: Die Insichtbare Front , 1997, ISBN 3-549-05603-6 , p. 159
  2. ^ Karl Wilhelm Fricke , Roger Engelmann : "Concentrated Beats": State Security Actions and Political Processes, BStU series of publications , 11, p. 90, online
  3. ↑ "Threat with Right" , Der Spiegel , April 16, 1952, online
  4. ↑ a b “Dealing with Injustice” , Der Spiegel, July 16, 1958, online
  5. ^ Frank Hagemann: The investigation committee of freedom lawyers 1949-1969 , dissertation, University of Kiel, 1994, p. 167
  6. ↑ Frank Hagemann: The Investigation Committee of Freedom Jurists 1949-1969 , Dissertation, University of Kiel, 1994, p. 168
  7. ^ Frank Hagemann: The investigation committee of freedom lawyers 1949-1969 , dissertation, University of Kiel, 1994, p. 170f
personal data
SURNAME Erdmann, Horst
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Friedenau, Theo (pseudonym)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German Hitler Youth functionary, impostor and publisher
DATE OF BIRTH January 31, 1919
PLACE OF BIRTH Wroclaw
DATE OF DEATH between 1993 and 1999