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Die Verhaftung Till Meyers in Bulgarien

Eine Randnotiz aus dem Archiv der bulgarischen Staatssicherheit
  • Christopher Nehring
Published/Copyright: July 17, 2015

Vorspann

Am 21. Juni 1978 wurde Till Meyer, ein Terrorist der „Bewegung 2. Juni“, der nur wenige Woche zuvor gewaltsam aus der Haft befreit worden war, in einem bulgarischen Badeort verhaftet und an die Bundesrepublik ausgeliefert. Dem lag eine direkte Kooperation zwischen dem Bundeskriminalamt und den bulgarischen Behörden zugrunde. Christopher Nehring rekonstruiert auf der Basis von Akten der Staatssicherheitsdienste Bulgariens und der DDR den Hergang und die Hintergründe dieses ungewöhnlichen Vorgangs. Dabei treten nicht nur Verbindungen zwischen Bonn bzw. Wiesbaden und Sofia zutage. Es kam auch zu einem vorübergehenden Beziehungsdrama zwischen den Stasis der DDR und der Tschechoslowakei einerseits und des eigensinnigen Bulgarien andererseits.

Abstract

The arrest of Till Meyer, terrorist and member of the 2 June Movement, in Bulgaria in the summer of 1978 is to this day one of the less familiar chapters in the history of West German terrorism and anti-terror policy. This article presents new facts about the circumstances of the arrest which result from comprehensive research in the archives of the East German and Bulgarian state security services (Dyrzhavna sigurnost). This allows for the partial verification as well as crucial expansion of the existing understanding of the course of events. Meyer’s arrest by the West German Bundeskriminalamt (BKA - Federal Criminal Police Office) in a foreign country which was part of the Socialist Bloc, which is the subject of the detailed reconstruction here, was an extraordinary act and part of a diplomatic rapprochement between socialist Bulgaria and the Federal Republic. It also occurred within the larger context of cooperation attempts on the part of the BKA under Horst Herold with Eastern Bloc countries, from which the East German Stasi was however excluded (for good reasons). In the East German Ministry of State Security, the arrest was castigated as a breach of trust on the part of their Bulgarian partner and led to harsh accusations.

Published Online: 2015-07-17
Published in Print: 2015-07-15

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