1 00:00:08,000 --> 00:00:10,000 [church bells chiming] 2 00:00:11,120 --> 00:00:13,120 [birds chirping] 3 00:00:17,840 --> 00:00:19,840 ["Hymme Der Ddr" playing] 4 00:00:30,360 --> 00:00:35,720 ♪ From the ruins risen newly ♪ 5 00:00:35,800 --> 00:00:40,920 ♪ To the future turned, we stand ♪ 6 00:00:41,000 --> 00:00:45,720 ♪ Let us serve your good weal truly ♪ 7 00:00:45,800 --> 00:00:51,600 ♪ Germany, our fatherland ♪ 8 00:00:51,680 --> 00:00:56,240 ♪ Triumph over bygone sorrow ♪ 9 00:00:56,320 --> 00:01:00,760 ♪ Can in unity be won ♪ 10 00:01:00,840 --> 00:01:05,880 ♪ For we shall attain a morrow ♪ 11 00:01:05,960 --> 00:01:10,480 ♪ When over our Germany ♪ 12 00:01:10,560 --> 00:01:15,000 ♪ There is a shining sun ♪ 13 00:01:15,080 --> 00:01:22,000 ♪ There is a shining sun ♪ 14 00:01:27,840 --> 00:01:32,040 [crowd clamoring] 15 00:01:34,240 --> 00:01:35,080 STASI SCOUNDRELS 16 00:01:35,160 --> 00:01:38,600 [crowd chanting] Stasi go home! 17 00:01:53,600 --> 00:01:58,280 [Böttcher] We didn't think the GDR could ever cease to exist. 18 00:02:05,200 --> 00:02:08,000 We didn't see this coming. 19 00:02:08,640 --> 00:02:10,480 I only realized afterwards that it was possible. 20 00:02:10,560 --> 00:02:12,840 [dramatic music playing] 21 00:02:37,640 --> 00:02:39,360 [narrator] The media tell us 22 00:02:39,440 --> 00:02:44,360 the murder of Treuhand Boss Rohwedder was the work of the RAF. 23 00:02:45,960 --> 00:02:49,480 However, looking at the execution, its presumed planning, 24 00:02:49,560 --> 00:02:52,280 and ideological background, this assumption appears to be wrong. 25 00:02:53,600 --> 00:02:56,120 There are, on the other hand, many indications 26 00:02:56,200 --> 00:02:58,960 that the assassinations could have been planned and carried out 27 00:02:59,040 --> 00:03:02,720 by remaining structures of the East German Ministry of State Security, 28 00:03:02,800 --> 00:03:06,200 known as Stasi, that were still operational at the time. 29 00:03:06,280 --> 00:03:07,760 [grunts] 30 00:03:07,840 --> 00:03:10,000 [trainees shouting] 31 00:03:17,520 --> 00:03:20,200 [heavy breathing] 32 00:03:35,240 --> 00:03:37,720 [Matschke] In the Rohwedder case, I see only one possibility: 33 00:03:38,200 --> 00:03:43,240 I see that this was carried out by dissatisfied citizens 34 00:03:43,320 --> 00:03:46,000 of the former GDR. 35 00:03:46,080 --> 00:03:47,840 I am absolutely certain of that. 36 00:03:47,920 --> 00:03:49,720 [dramatic music playing] 37 00:03:53,680 --> 00:03:58,560 [Matschke] These people must have had excellent military training, 38 00:03:58,640 --> 00:04:01,880 including training to become a sniper. 39 00:04:02,400 --> 00:04:06,280 [dramatic music continues] 40 00:04:12,560 --> 00:04:16,600 I see this as a revenge killing. 41 00:04:20,120 --> 00:04:22,400 [interviewer] Is this really possible or highly unlikely? 42 00:04:22,480 --> 00:04:26,600 When it comes to the Stasi, no evil is out of the question. 43 00:04:32,680 --> 00:04:36,640 [heavy breathing] 44 00:04:38,600 --> 00:04:40,200 GERMANY 45 00:04:40,280 --> 00:04:42,880 [upbeat theme music playing] 46 00:04:43,840 --> 00:04:45,600 A NETFLIX ORIGINAL DOCUMENTARY SERIES 47 00:04:47,400 --> 00:04:49,280 The German Reich… 48 00:04:49,800 --> 00:04:51,960 Nobody has any intention of building a wall. 49 00:04:52,040 --> 00:04:54,680 West and East Germany, a divided nation. 50 00:04:54,760 --> 00:05:01,680 ♪ Unity and justice and freedom… ♪ 51 00:05:01,760 --> 00:05:02,920 Red Army Faction. 52 00:05:03,000 --> 00:05:05,560 …insane attacks by barbaric terrorists. 53 00:05:05,640 --> 00:05:08,320 ♪ …Fatherland ♪ 54 00:05:08,960 --> 00:05:12,560 ♪ Risen from ruins… ♪ 55 00:05:12,640 --> 00:05:14,000 [Reagan] Tear down this wall! 56 00:05:14,680 --> 00:05:16,800 Our fatherland, reunited. 57 00:05:18,280 --> 00:05:25,080 ♪ Flourish, German fatherland ♪ 58 00:05:28,880 --> 00:05:32,960 OCCUPIER 59 00:05:33,680 --> 00:05:36,200 [reporter] Mr. Rohwedder has been killed. What are your thoughts? 60 00:05:36,280 --> 00:05:38,760 Has he? That's news to me. 61 00:05:40,040 --> 00:05:42,000 Haven't listened to the news yet today. 62 00:05:42,480 --> 00:05:43,760 -You haven't heard this? -No. 63 00:05:43,840 --> 00:05:46,360 He was the boss at Treuhand. Do you… 64 00:05:46,440 --> 00:05:47,560 Oh, well… 65 00:05:47,640 --> 00:05:49,680 I guess they had their reasons. 66 00:05:50,600 --> 00:05:52,120 I can't blame them. 67 00:05:52,200 --> 00:05:55,920 And if I had a chance to contribute, I'd take out a few more. 68 00:05:56,000 --> 00:05:58,400 We've never been screwed like this before! 69 00:05:59,080 --> 00:06:01,920 If you ask me, the West German government should have realized long ago 70 00:06:02,000 --> 00:06:04,120 that this is no way to run their politics. 71 00:06:04,600 --> 00:06:07,720 Perhaps this will make them realize that the five new federal states 72 00:06:07,800 --> 00:06:09,600 are a bomb waiting to go off. 73 00:06:09,680 --> 00:06:12,800 Something was bound to happen. Everyone could see that. 74 00:06:13,760 --> 00:06:20,680 I have my doubts whether this was really done by RAF terrorists, 75 00:06:20,760 --> 00:06:22,360 as they say in the news. 76 00:06:22,440 --> 00:06:26,680 I don't know, it could have been some people from the Stasi. 77 00:06:29,800 --> 00:06:31,160 [Diestel] I am quite sure 78 00:06:31,720 --> 00:06:36,120 this was not just some madman or politically… 79 00:06:36,200 --> 00:06:38,720 MINISTER OF THE INTERIOR, GDR PETER-MICHAEL DIESTEL 80 00:06:39,360 --> 00:06:42,120 …irresponsible people, like the RAF. 81 00:06:42,200 --> 00:06:46,160 I think the execution of Detlev Karsten Rohwedder 82 00:06:46,240 --> 00:06:49,080 was for economic reasons, 83 00:06:49,160 --> 00:06:53,080 because of decisions he made, measures he was responsible for. 84 00:06:53,160 --> 00:06:55,160 [helicopter whirring] 85 00:06:55,760 --> 00:06:57,040 [narrator] Berlin, city center. 86 00:06:57,120 --> 00:06:59,240 One office building was the most important address 87 00:06:59,320 --> 00:07:01,120 for wealthy investors from the West 88 00:07:01,680 --> 00:07:03,480 who wanted to invest in the GDR. 89 00:07:05,760 --> 00:07:08,080 [investor] We are in negotiations about buying a company. 90 00:07:08,760 --> 00:07:09,960 [reporter] What's going on? 91 00:07:10,040 --> 00:07:12,200 -What's going on? We are buying a company. -Which one? 92 00:07:12,280 --> 00:07:14,720 I don't have to tell you. I don't want to tell you here. 93 00:07:14,800 --> 00:07:16,400 I'm only visiting. 94 00:07:16,480 --> 00:07:18,600 -[reporter] What for? -Just to see what's up. 95 00:07:18,680 --> 00:07:22,120 -You wouldn't be here without a reason. -Why not? I'm visiting old friends. 96 00:07:24,400 --> 00:07:27,840 [Matschke] I experienced Treuhand myself, and I watched… 97 00:07:27,920 --> 00:07:30,240 FEDERAL OFFICE FOR THE PROTECTION OF THE CONSTITUTION 98 00:07:30,320 --> 00:07:35,360 …people queuing up in order to get their hands on whichever company. 99 00:07:37,400 --> 00:07:39,880 Business people came over thinking, 100 00:07:39,960 --> 00:07:42,120 "Hey, what a bargain. 101 00:07:42,200 --> 00:07:45,760 I can buy a fully equipped company 102 00:07:47,000 --> 00:07:48,000 for one euro. 103 00:07:49,520 --> 00:07:51,360 I'm exaggerating, 104 00:07:51,440 --> 00:07:54,040 but the general impression was, 105 00:07:54,120 --> 00:07:55,600 "Here come the occupiers, 106 00:07:56,200 --> 00:07:59,800 breaking up all sorts of companies… 107 00:07:59,880 --> 00:08:01,200 TRUST AGENCY 108 00:08:01,280 --> 00:08:04,200 …to sell them off for a quick profit. 109 00:08:06,360 --> 00:08:08,480 [Hillmann] I don't know what to call them… 110 00:08:09,880 --> 00:08:11,680 GDR MINISTRY FOR FOREIGN TRADE KURT HILLMANN 111 00:08:11,760 --> 00:08:14,480 …those who exploit things wherever they find something to exploit. 112 00:08:17,440 --> 00:08:22,680 They invaded our little country like locusts 113 00:08:23,520 --> 00:08:24,400 and… 114 00:08:25,360 --> 00:08:29,320 I would like to say, they not only added to the chaos, 115 00:08:29,400 --> 00:08:33,600 they also aggravated the personal misery of people. 116 00:08:34,960 --> 00:08:37,040 And you couldn't help… 117 00:08:39,280 --> 00:08:40,200 thinking, 118 00:08:40,920 --> 00:08:44,520 "So you are supposed to be our brothers and sisters?" 119 00:08:44,600 --> 00:08:46,680 [upbeat techno music playing] 120 00:08:50,240 --> 00:08:53,520 [Rohwedder] At the moment, we are indeed in a phase 121 00:08:53,600 --> 00:08:56,480 when companies, when the whole economy 122 00:08:56,560 --> 00:08:59,760 needs to sweat out any remains of socialism. We'll have to endure this. 123 00:08:59,840 --> 00:09:02,320 And the quicker we dive into this crisis, 124 00:09:02,400 --> 00:09:05,920 like a sick person, the quicker we'll come out the other end. 125 00:09:08,320 --> 00:09:13,200 [Diestel] Detlev Karsten Rohwedder was the most powerful German business tycoon 126 00:09:13,280 --> 00:09:14,560 of his era. 127 00:09:14,640 --> 00:09:19,280 I imagine that some people did not like some of his decisions. 128 00:09:19,360 --> 00:09:21,080 It feels a little bit like the Wild West, 129 00:09:21,160 --> 00:09:25,240 and some people are so insolent in dealing with Treuhand. 130 00:09:25,320 --> 00:09:27,800 This would simply be impossible in West Germany. 131 00:09:27,880 --> 00:09:30,640 Of course, privatization policies, 132 00:09:30,720 --> 00:09:34,720 uh, carried out as forcefully as Treuhand did in our country, 133 00:09:34,800 --> 00:09:37,280 are always met with both approval and disapproval. 134 00:09:37,360 --> 00:09:39,320 ASSISTANT ROHWEDDER PETER BACHSLEITNER 135 00:09:39,400 --> 00:09:43,120 Thinking back to spring of 1991, 136 00:09:44,080 --> 00:09:46,440 Rohwedder seems to have been hated by everyone. 137 00:09:48,640 --> 00:09:53,440 [Bachsleitner] And we did ask ourselves, "Are we safe here?" 138 00:09:53,520 --> 00:09:57,480 Um, we had received a few threats already. 139 00:09:58,200 --> 00:10:02,240 Staying at the Grand Hotel, 140 00:10:02,840 --> 00:10:05,120 we often took the opportunity 141 00:10:05,760 --> 00:10:10,600 to walk over to the Treuhand building in the morning. 142 00:10:10,680 --> 00:10:14,000 Right across the Street, there was the so-called "House of Democracy." 143 00:10:14,080 --> 00:10:18,120 And he said, "Look, if someone wanted to kill me, 144 00:10:18,200 --> 00:10:20,640 he could sit over there and bump me off without being caught. 145 00:10:20,720 --> 00:10:25,480 We have no control over who goes in and out over there." 146 00:10:25,560 --> 00:10:28,640 [thunder rolls] 147 00:10:29,520 --> 00:10:30,360 So… 148 00:10:31,200 --> 00:10:32,160 Now we can… 149 00:10:33,840 --> 00:10:35,080 [telephone rings] 150 00:10:35,160 --> 00:10:37,160 [suspenseful music playing] 151 00:10:39,160 --> 00:10:40,640 [telephone rings] 152 00:10:44,400 --> 00:10:46,400 [telephone continues ringing] 153 00:10:47,160 --> 00:10:52,000 [Classen] In our telephone conversations, Mrs. Rohwedder always maintained 154 00:10:52,600 --> 00:10:54,600 that the Stasi must have been behind it… 155 00:10:56,000 --> 00:10:57,480 CRIME REPORTER GÜNTHER CLASSEN 156 00:10:57,560 --> 00:11:00,800 …because their old networks were unhappy 157 00:11:00,880 --> 00:11:03,680 with her husband dissolving the GDR. 158 00:11:06,360 --> 00:11:09,360 [Classen] In his work, he had come across clues 159 00:11:09,440 --> 00:11:11,960 where the Stasi might have stashed away 160 00:11:12,040 --> 00:11:14,360 several hundred million that had disappeared. 161 00:11:14,960 --> 00:11:20,120 And the Stasi were worried he might find their hiding place. 162 00:11:22,240 --> 00:11:24,840 Here are a few telexes 163 00:11:26,880 --> 00:11:30,760 that I sent to the State Criminal Police Office, 164 00:11:30,840 --> 00:11:33,200 Department for the Protection of the State. 165 00:11:33,280 --> 00:11:35,280 [telex machine clicking] 166 00:11:41,160 --> 00:11:42,840 [narrator] The evidence strongly suggests 167 00:11:42,920 --> 00:11:47,200 that a new form of terrorism is emerging, 168 00:11:47,280 --> 00:11:51,200 outdistancing the RAF and dwarfing their efforts. 169 00:11:52,400 --> 00:11:55,240 Not only are they far more numerous compared to the RAF, 170 00:11:55,800 --> 00:11:59,440 those ex-Stasi members are also far more professional 171 00:12:00,000 --> 00:12:03,920 with regards to training, communications, financial means, 172 00:12:04,000 --> 00:12:06,800 logistics, inside knowledge, and experience. 173 00:12:06,880 --> 00:12:08,960 And they are blindly obedient. 174 00:12:09,600 --> 00:12:12,280 The Chief Security Office of Saxony-Anhalt, 175 00:12:12,360 --> 00:12:13,960 Klaus-Dieter Matschke. 176 00:12:14,040 --> 00:12:17,000 [Matschke] Yes, I meant 177 00:12:18,520 --> 00:12:20,120 what I said here. 178 00:12:21,240 --> 00:12:23,680 It would only have benefited 179 00:12:23,760 --> 00:12:26,680 those who believed the sell-off, 180 00:12:26,760 --> 00:12:30,880 the total dissolution of the country 181 00:12:30,960 --> 00:12:33,640 could be stopped by killing this man. 182 00:12:35,560 --> 00:12:37,120 My name is Klaus-Dieter Matschke. 183 00:12:37,200 --> 00:12:39,400 I used to work for the Federal Intelligence Service (BND), 184 00:12:39,480 --> 00:12:43,240 later for the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution. 185 00:12:43,920 --> 00:12:47,600 In that job, I was moved to the former GDR 186 00:12:48,360 --> 00:12:51,040 to investigate 187 00:12:51,960 --> 00:12:55,680 who worked for the Stasi before Reunification. 188 00:12:56,320 --> 00:12:59,480 What did they do? 189 00:12:59,560 --> 00:13:03,280 It was my job to report all my findings 190 00:13:03,360 --> 00:13:06,400 directly to the Prime Minister. 191 00:13:07,880 --> 00:13:10,080 I made contact 192 00:13:10,160 --> 00:13:15,160 with former Stasi generals. 193 00:13:15,240 --> 00:13:17,160 We spent a lot of time together, 194 00:13:17,240 --> 00:13:20,760 including drinking together. 195 00:13:21,320 --> 00:13:26,000 If I needed more information on a subject, 196 00:13:26,080 --> 00:13:30,520 I just asked one of them, and he would give me an answer. 197 00:13:32,560 --> 00:13:35,960 I asked the generals about the Rohwedder case, 198 00:13:36,040 --> 00:13:38,360 and they had come to the same conclusion: 199 00:13:39,120 --> 00:13:41,600 the murder had likely been carried out by their own people. 200 00:13:53,400 --> 00:13:55,120 STASI, LIEUTENANT COLONEL EBERHARD BÖTTCHER 201 00:13:55,200 --> 00:13:56,560 My name is Eberhard Böttcher. 202 00:13:56,640 --> 00:13:59,720 I used to work for the Ministry of State Security (MfS/Stasi). 203 00:13:59,800 --> 00:14:02,440 My last job was in Branch XXII, 204 00:14:02,520 --> 00:14:07,200 as Head of Department 1, and my rank was Lieutenant Colonel. 205 00:14:09,000 --> 00:14:11,400 [Böttcher] My sole reason for joining the Stasi 206 00:14:11,480 --> 00:14:14,800 was my deep wish to help prevent yet another war. 207 00:14:15,440 --> 00:14:17,960 I experienced World War II firsthand. 208 00:14:19,280 --> 00:14:23,360 My hometown Plauen was bombed and 80% destroyed. 209 00:14:23,440 --> 00:14:25,560 There was hardly a building left standing. 210 00:14:30,160 --> 00:14:33,920 I know what it means to fear for your life while cowering in a basement. 211 00:14:38,560 --> 00:14:41,720 This experience has stayed with me and has shaped who I am. 212 00:14:47,400 --> 00:14:49,040 No more war! 213 00:14:54,800 --> 00:14:56,840 THE YOUTH OF THE GDR GREETS THE YOUTH OF THE WORLD 214 00:14:56,920 --> 00:15:02,400 [crowd chanting] Friendship, friendship, friendship with our Russian brothers! 215 00:15:02,960 --> 00:15:06,840 [Hillmann] The GDR was an anti-fascist state, 216 00:15:07,400 --> 00:15:09,000 and that made it the better Germany. 217 00:15:12,040 --> 00:15:14,400 You have to remember 218 00:15:15,400 --> 00:15:18,200 that any Nazi who was keen to get away, 219 00:15:19,200 --> 00:15:24,760 who did not want to be caught and tried by the Russians, 220 00:15:24,840 --> 00:15:27,000 made their way to the Western Zones. 221 00:15:27,520 --> 00:15:31,080 This led to the Western Zones 222 00:15:32,000 --> 00:15:35,840 being crowded with Nazis of all descriptions. 223 00:15:38,680 --> 00:15:41,240 The same people 224 00:15:42,320 --> 00:15:45,360 who had wanted to kill me too, just a few years earlier, 225 00:15:47,280 --> 00:15:48,480 because I am Jewish. 226 00:15:48,560 --> 00:15:51,600 UNKNOWN 227 00:15:51,680 --> 00:15:54,360 [Diestel] And if you look back at this horrendous period 228 00:15:54,440 --> 00:16:00,800 of our country's history, the Holocaust, the devastation of World War II, 229 00:16:00,880 --> 00:16:02,160 the appalling injustice 230 00:16:02,240 --> 00:16:06,360 Germany brought upon its European neighbors and the USSR, 231 00:16:06,440 --> 00:16:07,640 bearing all this in mind, 232 00:16:07,720 --> 00:16:11,840 we do not deserve the great bliss of being re-united. 233 00:16:11,920 --> 00:16:15,400 Though not deserving it at all, we have achieved it. 234 00:16:20,400 --> 00:16:25,120 [Hillmann] From an economic point of view, the GDR was bound to collapse, 235 00:16:26,960 --> 00:16:30,000 but I would not have expected this with regards to its concept of society. 236 00:16:33,240 --> 00:16:36,280 [Böttcher] There was betrayal in our ranks as well. 237 00:16:36,360 --> 00:16:37,680 People became susceptible. 238 00:16:38,760 --> 00:16:41,840 Some were just plain frightened. They would have done anything… 239 00:16:42,120 --> 00:16:43,000 out of fear. 240 00:16:46,240 --> 00:16:50,240 [Böttcher] We had hoped that socialism could reinvent itself. 241 00:16:50,960 --> 00:16:52,800 We were waiting for this to happen. 242 00:16:54,200 --> 00:16:55,440 But what happened instead? 243 00:16:55,520 --> 00:16:59,480 Total collapse, as ordered by Gorbachev himself. 244 00:16:59,560 --> 00:17:04,440 [crowd chanting] Gorbi! Gorbi! 245 00:17:06,880 --> 00:17:10,080 [Waigel] The Soviet Union was in deep economic trouble. 246 00:17:11,080 --> 00:17:12,600 MINISTER OF FINANCE THEO WAIGEL 247 00:17:12,680 --> 00:17:14,680 In the summer of 1989, 248 00:17:15,400 --> 00:17:16,880 Helmut Kohl asked me 249 00:17:18,000 --> 00:17:20,160 to grant the Soviet Union, and thereby Gorbachev, 250 00:17:20,240 --> 00:17:25,240 an untied loan of five billion DM, 251 00:17:25,920 --> 00:17:31,960 as Gorbachev was in massive financial difficulties. 252 00:17:33,960 --> 00:17:38,040 Under normal circumstances, I was only allowed to grant an untied loan 253 00:17:38,560 --> 00:17:42,120 if I was 99% sure to get the money back. 254 00:17:43,720 --> 00:17:47,120 In this case, I was 99% sure 255 00:17:47,200 --> 00:17:49,280 we would not get the money back, 256 00:17:49,840 --> 00:17:52,880 but we just brushed our financial regulations aside. 257 00:17:52,960 --> 00:17:57,200 This was a very important trust-building gesture, 258 00:17:57,280 --> 00:17:58,760 signaling to Gorbachev 259 00:17:58,840 --> 00:18:02,640 that he could rely on Helmut Kohl and his government. 260 00:18:02,720 --> 00:18:06,320 [upbeat techno music playing] 261 00:18:10,920 --> 00:18:12,480 [Rohwedder] Mr. Secretary General, 262 00:18:13,040 --> 00:18:17,440 if you press the left-hand button on this gadget, 263 00:18:18,520 --> 00:18:23,240 you will see a picture of today's guest of honor: yourself. 264 00:18:24,120 --> 00:18:30,120 [applause] 265 00:18:30,800 --> 00:18:34,520 And, Secretary General, our most important message to you is 266 00:18:35,000 --> 00:18:39,320 thank you for the speed and dynamics of your politics. 267 00:18:40,000 --> 00:18:42,320 [cheering and applause] 268 00:18:47,400 --> 00:18:50,760 [Waigel] We wanted to achieve a change in attitude. 269 00:18:50,840 --> 00:18:53,120 The Soviet Union was starting to think, 270 00:18:53,200 --> 00:18:55,160 "Maybe we are better off 271 00:18:55,640 --> 00:19:00,160 having a good relationship with a reunited Germany, 272 00:19:00,800 --> 00:19:04,560 rather than having West Germany as an enemy." 273 00:19:04,640 --> 00:19:06,960 At the German-Soviet summit in Moscow, 274 00:19:07,040 --> 00:19:10,160 Chancellor Kohl and Head of State and Party Leader Gorbachev 275 00:19:10,240 --> 00:19:13,200 spent four hours in private talks. 276 00:19:13,280 --> 00:19:14,960 [reporter] The Soviet leadership was 277 00:19:15,040 --> 00:19:17,320 impressed that Helmut Kohl came to Moscow 278 00:19:17,400 --> 00:19:21,080 with a generous offer for economic support. 279 00:19:21,160 --> 00:19:23,640 [Kohl] Gorbachev and I agree 280 00:19:23,720 --> 00:19:27,200 that the German nation should have the sole right 281 00:19:27,280 --> 00:19:28,920 to decide 282 00:19:29,720 --> 00:19:32,520 whether it wants to live together again in one country. 283 00:19:35,000 --> 00:19:35,880 He was like… 284 00:19:35,960 --> 00:19:38,000 Let me shake your hand. 285 00:19:38,080 --> 00:19:43,160 It was a good day's work. We can be proud, really proud. 286 00:19:44,080 --> 00:19:46,720 I think we should celebrate and get drunk right now. 287 00:19:50,040 --> 00:19:51,840 [Böttcher] The GDR had to perish 288 00:19:53,000 --> 00:19:54,400 in the face of West Germany, 289 00:19:55,120 --> 00:19:57,320 because it had lost all its allies. 290 00:19:57,400 --> 00:19:58,640 That's the truth! 291 00:19:58,720 --> 00:20:00,120 Do you all have a drink? 292 00:20:00,200 --> 00:20:01,280 -Yes! -Yes! 293 00:20:01,840 --> 00:20:02,920 Here's to Germany! 294 00:20:07,240 --> 00:20:09,040 [upbeat music playing] 295 00:20:09,120 --> 00:20:11,680 [Böttcher] Because of Gorbachev's betrayal, 296 00:20:13,360 --> 00:20:15,040 our country perished. 297 00:20:17,440 --> 00:20:18,880 My world came crashing down. 298 00:20:19,680 --> 00:20:22,120 I was depressed, sad. 299 00:20:23,880 --> 00:20:25,800 And my job was gone. We had to go. 300 00:20:28,520 --> 00:20:31,400 [reporter] The last staff members of the Stasi 301 00:20:31,480 --> 00:20:33,640 left their workplace for the final time today. 302 00:20:33,720 --> 00:20:35,640 The police officer in charge told me… 303 00:20:35,720 --> 00:20:38,160 [police officer] First we'll have to collect their weapons 304 00:20:38,240 --> 00:20:39,640 and put them in storage. 305 00:20:39,720 --> 00:20:44,120 Then at a central depot, they'll turn in the uniforms they used to wear. 306 00:20:46,480 --> 00:20:49,720 [Böttcher] We did not want to be identified as former Stasi members. 307 00:20:49,800 --> 00:20:52,800 Bad press in the newspapers, 308 00:20:53,480 --> 00:20:56,080 on TV, and elsewhere caused a great deal of anxiety. 309 00:20:56,160 --> 00:20:58,520 There was even talk 310 00:20:58,600 --> 00:21:03,600 of labeling us as a criminal organization. 311 00:21:04,280 --> 00:21:06,880 DOWN WITH THE STASI 312 00:21:06,960 --> 00:21:10,040 [Fischer] Minister for the Environment, Karl-Hermann Steinberg 313 00:21:10,120 --> 00:21:13,480 was an undercover Stasi informant. 314 00:21:13,560 --> 00:21:15,720 [reporter] Minister, would you like to comment on this? 315 00:21:15,800 --> 00:21:18,920 I must reject Mr. Fischer's accusations. 316 00:21:19,000 --> 00:21:20,520 MINISTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT 317 00:21:20,600 --> 00:21:22,800 [reporter] We would like to ask you a few questions 318 00:21:22,880 --> 00:21:25,680 regarding your work for the Ministry of State Security. 319 00:21:25,760 --> 00:21:27,000 Where did you get that idea? 320 00:21:27,080 --> 00:21:30,360 -May we ask you-- -No. And stop taking pictures of me. 321 00:21:30,440 --> 00:21:32,240 [reporter] We are looking for Mr. Pirne. 322 00:21:32,320 --> 00:21:34,160 Pirne? That's me. 323 00:21:34,240 --> 00:21:35,360 -You? -Yes. 324 00:21:35,440 --> 00:21:37,880 -Can you stop this, please? -[reporter] Are you a Stasi officer? 325 00:21:37,960 --> 00:21:40,760 -No. Can you stop this, please? -Were you a Stasi officer? 326 00:21:41,240 --> 00:21:42,600 There are documents stating 327 00:21:42,680 --> 00:21:44,680 that you are an Officer on Special Deployment. 328 00:21:44,760 --> 00:21:45,680 Well, I was. 329 00:21:46,160 --> 00:21:48,120 -You were? -It's in the past, of course. 330 00:21:48,720 --> 00:21:50,480 But you were an Officer on Special Deployment? 331 00:21:50,560 --> 00:21:51,400 Yes, I was. 332 00:21:52,280 --> 00:21:53,960 -And you openly admit to it? -Yes. 333 00:21:54,920 --> 00:21:56,160 Why should I deny it? 334 00:21:56,720 --> 00:22:01,040 Mr. Rohwedder, were you able to dismantle the old SED networks 335 00:22:01,120 --> 00:22:04,040 in order to have more of a free hand? 336 00:22:04,120 --> 00:22:06,800 Mr. Lohse, if you're referring to Stasi members, 337 00:22:06,880 --> 00:22:09,320 we don't have any at Treuhand, 338 00:22:09,400 --> 00:22:10,840 not anymore. 339 00:22:11,520 --> 00:22:15,880 I wouldn't be the head of an organization where such people work. 340 00:22:17,160 --> 00:22:22,280 [Diestel] Many people were just fired 341 00:22:22,360 --> 00:22:25,560 and got no recognition for their life's work. 342 00:22:25,640 --> 00:22:29,200 It was unjust, 343 00:22:30,280 --> 00:22:35,400 and it hurt me a lot to see them simply being sacked 344 00:22:35,480 --> 00:22:37,640 by the self-perceived victors of history. 345 00:22:37,720 --> 00:22:39,120 After all, there was no victory. 346 00:22:39,200 --> 00:22:42,040 If anyone won, it was us, the East Germans. 347 00:22:45,040 --> 00:22:47,960 [Matschke] Overnight, they became nobodies. 348 00:22:49,480 --> 00:22:52,240 Today a General, tomorrow begging in the street. 349 00:22:53,120 --> 00:22:57,120 This had a massive negative impact 350 00:22:57,200 --> 00:23:00,680 on all the former armed forces, 351 00:23:00,760 --> 00:23:02,680 not just the Stasi. 352 00:23:03,480 --> 00:23:05,040 [typewriter clicking] 353 00:23:05,120 --> 00:23:11,720 [narrator] Everyone should understand that the former Stasi members are enraged. 354 00:23:11,800 --> 00:23:16,200 Their loss of social standing is a catastrophe, to put it mildly. 355 00:23:20,800 --> 00:23:25,520 [narrator] Former high-ranking commanders have either been sacked, 356 00:23:25,600 --> 00:23:29,600 unemployed, or have found terrible jobs at the bottom of the social ladder, 357 00:23:29,680 --> 00:23:31,440 well below their true capabilities. 358 00:23:33,440 --> 00:23:37,320 [Diestel] And these are all people who stepped down from power voluntarily 359 00:23:37,400 --> 00:23:42,840 in order to find their place within this new, democratic system. 360 00:23:44,320 --> 00:23:47,480 [Diestel] Of course, I wouldn't rule out the odd nut-case. 361 00:23:48,720 --> 00:23:51,560 The Stasi had 100,000 full-time employees. 362 00:23:51,640 --> 00:23:54,000 There might well have been someone bearing a grudge. 363 00:24:12,200 --> 00:24:17,720 Revenge attacks in order to kill someone? 364 00:24:18,520 --> 00:24:19,600 Unthinkable. 365 00:24:20,680 --> 00:24:22,440 Although the possibility was there. 366 00:24:25,120 --> 00:24:26,600 [Böttcher] We had the weapons. 367 00:24:32,440 --> 00:24:36,840 If we had been ordered to go somewhere and use our weapons, 368 00:24:36,920 --> 00:24:38,400 of course, I would have gone. 369 00:24:41,520 --> 00:24:43,600 But I don't know if I would have actually fired a shot. 370 00:24:48,280 --> 00:24:53,520 In fact, it wasn't big news to me that this man was shot. 371 00:24:54,120 --> 00:24:55,520 It was meaningless to me. 372 00:24:55,600 --> 00:24:59,160 I had more important things to deal with, such as getting back on my feet 373 00:24:59,240 --> 00:25:00,600 in order to earn a living. 374 00:25:01,120 --> 00:25:05,680 I was lucky to meet the boss of a security firm. 375 00:25:06,320 --> 00:25:07,720 He hired me immediately. 376 00:25:10,040 --> 00:25:11,640 But it still felt like 377 00:25:12,200 --> 00:25:17,360 being downgraded from being the head of a hospital 378 00:25:17,440 --> 00:25:18,520 to becoming a porter. 379 00:25:26,120 --> 00:25:28,640 [Fox] Back then, we employed a lot of people 380 00:25:28,720 --> 00:25:31,760 from the GDR's special forces. 381 00:25:32,560 --> 00:25:38,600 In the Düsseldorf/Essen area, we had about 30 382 00:25:39,120 --> 00:25:40,640 working in various positions. 383 00:25:40,720 --> 00:25:44,560 We were glad to have them as they knew how to handle a weapon, 384 00:25:44,640 --> 00:25:48,440 had a military mindset, knew how to guard, 385 00:25:48,520 --> 00:25:50,880 how to patrol and protect. 386 00:25:50,960 --> 00:25:54,560 So they were our preferred recruits. There wasn't anything immoral about it. 387 00:25:54,640 --> 00:25:58,840 We had no means of checking their full background anyway. 388 00:26:00,640 --> 00:26:03,160 [narrator] There were four private security firms 389 00:26:03,240 --> 00:26:06,960 operating in the VIP area around the Kaiser-Friedrich-Ring in Düsseldorf. 390 00:26:08,200 --> 00:26:11,200 Did they have a bad apple among them, 391 00:26:11,280 --> 00:26:13,160 spying out the Rohwedder house? 392 00:26:14,760 --> 00:26:16,920 How else could the gunman have known 393 00:26:17,000 --> 00:26:20,720 that the office window on the second floor of Rohwedder's house 394 00:26:20,800 --> 00:26:23,600 was not bulletproof? 395 00:26:25,000 --> 00:26:28,160 There is a lot a security guard can pick up. 396 00:26:29,440 --> 00:26:32,720 [Fox] I don't want to rule out that people kept talking, 397 00:26:32,800 --> 00:26:35,040 to whoever, when off-duty, 398 00:26:35,120 --> 00:26:39,440 and that comments were made such as, "Look at this house! He must be loaded! 399 00:26:39,520 --> 00:26:41,400 What are his security arrangements?" 400 00:26:41,480 --> 00:26:43,720 And that details of private security 401 00:26:43,800 --> 00:26:47,560 and police presence may have been revealed. 402 00:26:47,640 --> 00:26:50,160 All those theories are not that far-fetched, really. 403 00:26:52,160 --> 00:26:54,000 [Bachsleitner] I ask myself to this day, 404 00:26:55,120 --> 00:27:01,080 who is ultimately responsible for the killing of my former boss? 405 00:27:03,560 --> 00:27:06,240 I did gain some insight into the former Stasi early on 406 00:27:06,320 --> 00:27:11,440 while working at Treuhand, 407 00:27:11,520 --> 00:27:15,320 but investigating Stasi structures and misconduct 408 00:27:15,400 --> 00:27:18,440 was not our primary concern. 409 00:27:18,520 --> 00:27:20,680 We were managing wealth. 410 00:27:20,760 --> 00:27:24,520 A lot of things have happened that are rather unsavory, 411 00:27:24,600 --> 00:27:29,240 and I sometimes feel like the Deputy Sheriff being blamed 412 00:27:29,320 --> 00:27:32,080 for everything that has gone wrong over the past few months. 413 00:27:32,160 --> 00:27:34,120 That's rather unfair. 414 00:27:36,800 --> 00:27:40,680 [Diestel] Mr. Rohwedder had to make some bizarre decisions, 415 00:27:40,760 --> 00:27:42,720 which were unpopular with some people. 416 00:27:43,880 --> 00:27:46,520 And if there was a rogue among those unhappy people, 417 00:27:46,600 --> 00:27:49,440 who thought he could protect his interests by using a weapon, 418 00:27:49,520 --> 00:27:52,840 then it could have been one of the reasons for his death. 419 00:27:52,960 --> 00:27:55,560 4 WEEKS 420 00:27:55,640 --> 00:27:59,080 UNTIL THE MURDER 421 00:27:59,160 --> 00:28:03,560 In March 1991, we had discussions 422 00:28:03,640 --> 00:28:06,880 about employing auditors 423 00:28:06,960 --> 00:28:09,120 to analyze and establish 424 00:28:09,200 --> 00:28:13,080 whether there were any hidden assets we needed to take control of. 425 00:28:15,920 --> 00:28:17,080 I am Kurt Hillmann, 426 00:28:18,240 --> 00:28:19,840 born in Berlin. 427 00:28:19,920 --> 00:28:21,960 I studied international trade 428 00:28:22,040 --> 00:28:24,360 and worked in the GDR's Ministry for Foreign Trade. 429 00:28:24,840 --> 00:28:29,560 I was assigned to an international trade company called IMES. 430 00:28:29,640 --> 00:28:30,480 IMES 431 00:28:30,560 --> 00:28:33,120 [dramatic music playing] 432 00:28:33,200 --> 00:28:34,960 Their business 433 00:28:35,880 --> 00:28:40,560 was the sale 434 00:28:41,240 --> 00:28:44,400 of weapons and ammunition. 435 00:28:44,480 --> 00:28:48,120 [dramatic music continues] 436 00:28:48,200 --> 00:28:50,040 The main weapon was the AK-47. 437 00:28:52,000 --> 00:28:53,520 Where did we sell them? 438 00:28:54,960 --> 00:28:55,800 Africa. 439 00:28:57,600 --> 00:28:58,760 South America. 440 00:29:02,680 --> 00:29:07,000 IMES was part of KoKo, 441 00:29:07,800 --> 00:29:10,880 the Department for Commercial Coordination. 442 00:29:12,240 --> 00:29:14,480 [Webers] It was a whole network of many people, 443 00:29:14,960 --> 00:29:19,400 often conducting normal business 444 00:29:20,080 --> 00:29:22,840 in order to earn foreign currency for the GDR… 445 00:29:23,720 --> 00:29:29,120 …so that purchases could be made for which the GDR Mark was not accepted as payment. 446 00:29:29,200 --> 00:29:35,160 But they also had some rather questionable practices. 447 00:29:37,240 --> 00:29:40,280 There were crooked deals such as an emergency appeal 448 00:29:40,360 --> 00:29:43,080 to donate blood for the victims of an earthquake in Romania. 449 00:29:43,160 --> 00:29:46,840 But the blood ended up being sold to the Red Cross in Munich. 450 00:29:48,440 --> 00:29:51,600 [Hillmann] Medical equipment, the art trade, 451 00:29:53,200 --> 00:29:54,760 weapons, and ammunition… 452 00:29:55,920 --> 00:29:57,960 There was a whole range of goods involved. 453 00:29:58,040 --> 00:30:02,560 How they made their money and how much they made 454 00:30:02,640 --> 00:30:04,600 only became known after the Wall came down. 455 00:30:04,680 --> 00:30:09,480 [narrator] The weapons on offer included far more than the well-known AK-47 456 00:30:09,560 --> 00:30:11,800 and its ammunition. 457 00:30:11,880 --> 00:30:14,680 [explosions] 458 00:30:14,760 --> 00:30:16,240 Trading in weapons… 459 00:30:17,800 --> 00:30:20,520 from a business point of view, 460 00:30:21,360 --> 00:30:22,480 whatever makes money. 461 00:30:23,320 --> 00:30:25,000 It doesn't matter what you trade in, 462 00:30:26,440 --> 00:30:29,360 be it buttons or heavy machinery. 463 00:30:31,120 --> 00:30:32,640 [Webers] Make no mistake, 464 00:30:33,480 --> 00:30:39,240 this was a well-organized department that made the most of capitalism. 465 00:30:41,120 --> 00:30:45,720 [Hillmann] The head of the department was Alexander Schalck-Golodkowski. 466 00:30:45,800 --> 00:30:50,640 [dramatic music playing] 467 00:30:51,200 --> 00:30:56,840 If there was corruption, fraud, dishonesty, 468 00:30:57,360 --> 00:31:01,640 this is for others to investigate, not us. 469 00:31:01,720 --> 00:31:04,120 But we will do our share to shed light 470 00:31:04,200 --> 00:31:08,200 on the Schalck-Golodkowski affair. 471 00:31:08,960 --> 00:31:11,760 Uh... we are doing what we can, 472 00:31:12,400 --> 00:31:15,280 but it's an explosive matter. 473 00:31:17,360 --> 00:31:19,920 [narrator] Pictures of his rare public appearances. 474 00:31:20,000 --> 00:31:23,480 Schalck was one of the most important mediators between East and West. 475 00:31:24,120 --> 00:31:28,600 [Bachsleitner] Why didn't they ever really chase 476 00:31:29,960 --> 00:31:33,240 the missing millions? 477 00:31:33,320 --> 00:31:36,840 Could it be that some people had an interest 478 00:31:36,920 --> 00:31:39,040 in delaying this? 479 00:31:39,120 --> 00:31:40,120 SCHALCK-GOLODKOWSKI WANTED 480 00:31:40,200 --> 00:31:42,360 Authorities are searching for the former State Secretary 481 00:31:42,440 --> 00:31:44,560 of the Department of Commercial Coordination, 482 00:31:44,640 --> 00:31:45,840 Alexander Schalck-Golodkowski. 483 00:31:45,920 --> 00:31:47,680 [dramatic music playing] 484 00:31:47,760 --> 00:31:51,200 [reporter] Business expert Schalck-Golodkowski, 485 00:31:51,280 --> 00:31:52,960 who yesterday was still in Bonn for talks, 486 00:31:53,040 --> 00:31:55,360 is accused of exploiting his position and of embezzlement. 487 00:31:55,440 --> 00:31:56,440 SEARCH FOR STATE SECRETARY 488 00:31:58,080 --> 00:32:00,400 [Webers] Dr. Schalck-Golodkowski was on the run. 489 00:32:00,480 --> 00:32:03,800 They flew him to the Federal Intelligence Service Office in Munich. 490 00:32:04,520 --> 00:32:10,240 And we were left wondering, "Is he really getting away with it so easily?" 491 00:32:10,320 --> 00:32:11,720 SCHALCK-GOLODKOWSKI FIRST PROCESS 492 00:32:11,800 --> 00:32:14,960 The initial court hearing took place today at Berlin State Court in the case 493 00:32:15,040 --> 00:32:18,000 against the GDR's foreign currency procurer Schalck-Golodkowski. 494 00:32:18,080 --> 00:32:20,600 I think he got a suspended sentence of 18 months, 495 00:32:20,680 --> 00:32:25,160 and he must have been laughing about it. 496 00:32:25,240 --> 00:32:28,240 I remember we had another court case against him, 497 00:32:28,320 --> 00:32:30,720 but the hearings had to be postponed 498 00:32:30,800 --> 00:32:33,040 because the accused sat 499 00:32:33,120 --> 00:32:36,200 in the German government airplane on his way to China 500 00:32:36,280 --> 00:32:38,600 to advise on trading with the East. 501 00:32:39,200 --> 00:32:45,960 From then on we knew that we couldn't expect much from the state prosecutor. 502 00:32:46,040 --> 00:32:49,400 Someone held a protective hand over the man. 503 00:32:49,480 --> 00:32:50,360 ALLEGATIONS REJECTED 504 00:32:50,440 --> 00:32:53,520 Today, Minister of the Interior Schäuble repudiated a report in Stern magazine, 505 00:32:53,600 --> 00:32:56,040 claiming he had helped SED foreign currency procurer 506 00:32:56,120 --> 00:32:58,520 and Stasi officer Schalck-Golodkowski 507 00:32:58,600 --> 00:33:01,560 to escape GDR jurisdiction. 508 00:33:01,640 --> 00:33:06,880 He had no case pending against him in the West. 509 00:33:06,960 --> 00:33:13,360 But we agreed that he should be helped on a humanitarian level, 510 00:33:13,440 --> 00:33:16,080 and the church social welfare organization did just that. 511 00:33:16,160 --> 00:33:18,560 [reporter] Wolfgang Schäuble is someone who would have been 512 00:33:18,640 --> 00:33:19,840 central to the investigations. 513 00:33:19,920 --> 00:33:22,160 He knows a lot about the events and said very little. 514 00:33:22,240 --> 00:33:25,280 The whole government kept a low profile and documents under lock and key. 515 00:33:25,360 --> 00:33:27,080 [Webers] We got quite angry 516 00:33:27,560 --> 00:33:31,280 when we heard Schalck had sent letters to Schäuble. 517 00:33:31,360 --> 00:33:34,000 He must have mentioned details 518 00:33:34,080 --> 00:33:39,200 about companies, assets, etc. 519 00:33:39,280 --> 00:33:41,720 We never got hold of these letters. 520 00:33:42,360 --> 00:33:46,280 At first, Schäuble couldn't remember. Then he declared the letters "private" 521 00:33:46,360 --> 00:33:49,760 and claimed he was under no obligation to hand them over. 522 00:33:49,840 --> 00:33:52,880 And anyway, he could not remember whether they were still in his possession. 523 00:33:52,960 --> 00:33:54,920 And we were supposed to find the money? 524 00:33:55,000 --> 00:33:57,440 Secure it? How? We had nothing. 525 00:33:57,520 --> 00:33:59,240 [dramatic music playing] 526 00:33:59,320 --> 00:34:01,520 [narrator] The object of special media interest: 527 00:34:01,600 --> 00:34:05,200 the contents of possibly five suitcases, full of explosive documents. 528 00:34:05,280 --> 00:34:08,160 Schalck calls them his life's work. 529 00:34:08,240 --> 00:34:10,760 Political dynamite in a reunited Germany. 530 00:34:11,920 --> 00:34:17,840 Schalck-Golodkowski had a very adaptable, flexible personality. 531 00:34:19,280 --> 00:34:21,520 He couldn't have known anything about my affairs, 532 00:34:22,160 --> 00:34:24,640 and I don't know anything about his. 533 00:34:27,960 --> 00:34:30,160 [Kinkel] Addressing concerns that there might be someone… 534 00:34:30,240 --> 00:34:31,960 MINISTER OF JUSTICE KLAUS KINKEL 535 00:34:32,040 --> 00:34:36,600 …supporting, shielding, protecting Mr. Schalck, 536 00:34:36,680 --> 00:34:39,880 I can only repeat what I have said on numerous occasions before: 537 00:34:40,440 --> 00:34:41,920 complete nonsense! 538 00:34:46,400 --> 00:34:48,800 [Diestel] Files on West German politicians 539 00:34:49,400 --> 00:34:50,800 have been destroyed. 540 00:34:52,320 --> 00:34:53,480 I won't name names, 541 00:34:54,080 --> 00:34:57,440 but the political elite knows to whom I am referring. 542 00:34:58,000 --> 00:35:01,240 This means we'll see those immoral, 543 00:35:02,280 --> 00:35:05,520 ignorant, evil figures in all sorts of functions 544 00:35:06,760 --> 00:35:09,400 because no files will ever be found. They're all gone. 545 00:35:09,480 --> 00:35:14,040 [eerie music playing] 546 00:35:14,120 --> 00:35:15,400 But I know one thing. 547 00:35:15,480 --> 00:35:20,560 In spring, 1991, there were no Stasi structures left 548 00:35:20,640 --> 00:35:23,520 that could have executed people. They simply didn't exist. 549 00:35:31,040 --> 00:35:32,120 STATE CRIMINAL POLICE OFFICE 550 00:35:32,200 --> 00:35:34,960 HEAD OF DEPARTMENT FOR THE PROTECTION OF THE STATE, BERND WAGNER 551 00:35:35,040 --> 00:35:37,280 The fact that this murder 552 00:35:37,360 --> 00:35:42,240 could be politically exploited back then is interesting. 553 00:35:44,000 --> 00:35:49,320 Being politically aware and also thinking in criminological terms, I ask myself, 554 00:35:50,720 --> 00:35:52,200 who could have gained from it? 555 00:35:54,480 --> 00:35:56,280 I could imagine someone 556 00:35:56,360 --> 00:35:59,360 who had nothing to do with the Stasi or the RAF. 557 00:36:01,720 --> 00:36:05,960 He could be an independent killer, but acting on orders… 558 00:36:07,120 --> 00:36:09,440 on the orders of some powerful Western political stakeholder. 559 00:36:09,520 --> 00:36:11,000 [suspenseful music plays 560 00:38:02,920 --> 00:38:06,520 Subtitle translation by