Russian Spies Go On Trial

Andreas and Heidrum Anschlag

 A 54-year-old Andreas Anschlag and his wife Heidrum are facing charges of secret agen activity” and of “forgery of documents” in a stuttgart court.

The couple allegedly spied for the defunct Soviet Union during the cold war and after the collapse of Soviet Union they resumed spying on NATO and EU for the Russia Foreign Intelligence Service. 

The story of this agent couple sounds like a spy thriler novel or Hollywood film but this a real story that unfolded in Germany with the script written and orchestrated somewhere in the former Soviet enclave. The couple thrived in their trade for so long until 2011.

The couple entered into Germany with fake Austrian passports. While Heidrum Anschlag’s   sojourn in Germany began in 1990 Andreas Anschlag joined her in 1996. They claimed to be born in South America. 

On entering Germany they settled in Aachen where Andreas studed electrical engineering. They moved to a small town named Meckenheim, close to Western German capital, Bonn. Thy finally lived at Michelbach where they were arrested.      

In an interview with Deutsche Welle, (German Waves), the couple defence lawyer, Horst-Dieter Pötschke agreed to the suspicion that the surname “Anschlag” might be  faked.   

In Meckenheim neighbours said the couple lived very discretely. They lived friendly but distant. A neigbour said Heidrum was fond of making phone calls at the backyard even in winter. They even suspicious of their claim to be from South America because they had East European accent.

According to the German atorney general the couple engaged the services of a Dutch diplomat, who providedthe couple with dozens of secret documents from NATO and EU. The topic of the docments touched on issues relating to Russia.

The charges read that files were transmitted to Rusian oreign Intelligence Service in Moscow through “dead mail boxes,” They received orders through radio network and send their own messages via satellites an internet video platform.

But luck ran out of them when they were busted in 2011. Heidrum was working on an assignment when she was arrested. She was caught sitting in front of a short wave receiver, writing down secret messages while her husband was arrested on the same day in a town called Balingen some 200 kilometers (120 miles) away.

The US intelligence services tipped off German investigators. A neighbour told DW reporter in bewilderment "Suddenly we had this spy thriller taking place right outside our window - it was better than the movies".

 A matter of everyday is for the thief but one day is for the owner of the house you might say.