Berlin: Capital of Spies (207)

For almost half a century, the hottest front in the Cold War was right across Berlin. From summer 1945 until 1990, spying was part of everyday life in both East and West Berlin.

I speak with historian Bernd von Kostka of the Allied Museum in Berlin-Dahlem who has co-authored with Sven Felix Kellerhoff the book Capital of Spies: Intelligence agencies in Berlin during the Cold War recently published by Casemate.

The book describes the spectacular successes and failures of the various secret services based in the city and in this episode we will concentrate on one of the chapters detailing the work of the various Allied listening stations.

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I am delighted and honoured to welcome back Bernd von Kostka to our Cold War conversation…

There’s further information here. https://coldwarconversations.com/episode207/

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0:00 Introduction and discussion on Berlin's role in the Cold War

2:42 Historical significance of Teufelsberg in Berlin

9:14 Listening stations in Berlin: Marienfelde and Templehof

16:28 Collaboration between the Western powers in Berlin

20:47 Technology and operations at Teufelsberg

27:47 Infiltration of Field Station Berlin by Soviet and East German agents

38:32 US counterintelligence's awareness of spy activities

43:33 Exposure and fate of the spies post-arrest

47:59 Fate of Teufelsberg after the Wall opened

50:07 Sponsor: Promotion for Bernd's book "Capital of Spies"

51:57 Closing remarks and promotion for the Cold War Conversations store

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