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The son who never was: strange tale of bogus orphan reveals cold war's legacy The son who never was: strange tale of bogus orphan reveals cold war's legacy
(about 1 month later)
An extraordinary untold chapter of cold war espionage has emerged with the revelation that secret services in the eastern bloc systematically stole the identities of orphaned and abandoned children and used them to create sophisticated aliases for their foreign agents.An extraordinary untold chapter of cold war espionage has emerged with the revelation that secret services in the eastern bloc systematically stole the identities of orphaned and abandoned children and used them to create sophisticated aliases for their foreign agents.
The details have come to light in a German documentary that tells the tragic story of a Polish man whose identity was assumed by a spy for the Polish secret service who infiltrated Germany's civil service and remained active there for several years.The details have come to light in a German documentary that tells the tragic story of a Polish man whose identity was assumed by a spy for the Polish secret service who infiltrated Germany's civil service and remained active there for several years.
Jerzy Kaczmarek was recruited as an agent in 1977 when he was in his early twenties, and given the identity of Janusz Arnoldt.Jerzy Kaczmarek was recruited as an agent in 1977 when he was in his early twenties, and given the identity of Janusz Arnoldt.
Arnoldt had been born in 1946 to an ethnic German mother who abandoned the one year old in an orphanage after fleeing her home in Pomerania – which later became Polish – along with hundreds of thousands of other ethnic Germans.Arnoldt had been born in 1946 to an ethnic German mother who abandoned the one year old in an orphanage after fleeing her home in Pomerania – which later became Polish – along with hundreds of thousands of other ethnic Germans.
To perfect his cover and enable him to operate in Germany, the spy Kaczmarek made an application through the Red Cross to track down "his" (Arnoldt's) birth mother, who lived in West Germany. The family welcomed the long-lost "son" with open arms, but were stricken with grief when Arnoldt's "mother", Hildegard, dropped down dead at her front door hours after seeing her supposed son in West Germany for the first time.To perfect his cover and enable him to operate in Germany, the spy Kaczmarek made an application through the Red Cross to track down "his" (Arnoldt's) birth mother, who lived in West Germany. The family welcomed the long-lost "son" with open arms, but were stricken with grief when Arnoldt's "mother", Hildegard, dropped down dead at her front door hours after seeing her supposed son in West Germany for the first time.
Helped by his new family, who took him to their hearts, Jerzy Kaczmarek went on to make a successful career for himself posing as a German bureaucrat in the northern city of Bremen's office of emigration and immigration, where he was a popular colleague, admired for the speed with which he mastered bureaucratic German. He even became a respected member of the Social Democratic party.Helped by his new family, who took him to their hearts, Jerzy Kaczmarek went on to make a successful career for himself posing as a German bureaucrat in the northern city of Bremen's office of emigration and immigration, where he was a popular colleague, admired for the speed with which he mastered bureaucratic German. He even became a respected member of the Social Democratic party.
By day he pushed papers and oversaw the applications of ethnic Germans wishing to return to Germany; by night, he sent vital information back to his spymasters, who also gave him orders via a short-wave radio at his flat.By day he pushed papers and oversaw the applications of ethnic Germans wishing to return to Germany; by night, he sent vital information back to his spymasters, who also gave him orders via a short-wave radio at his flat.
Slavomir Cenckiewicz, an historian who oversaw the shutting down of the Polish military secret service in the 1990s, said the work Kaczmarek carried out was hugely valuable for the entire eastern bloc secret service network. "Having a mole planted in the system was like gold dust. He was able to help with the infiltration of spies into the west, as well as observing how German authorities controlled those wishing to flee communism," he said.Slavomir Cenckiewicz, an historian who oversaw the shutting down of the Polish military secret service in the 1990s, said the work Kaczmarek carried out was hugely valuable for the entire eastern bloc secret service network. "Having a mole planted in the system was like gold dust. He was able to help with the infiltration of spies into the west, as well as observing how German authorities controlled those wishing to flee communism," he said.
But Kaczmarek's cover was spectacularly blown when the real Janusz Arnoldt applied via the German Red Cross in the mid-1980s to track down his birth mother, only to be told that the request had been lodged from eastern Europe years before and that a reunion had long since taken place.But Kaczmarek's cover was spectacularly blown when the real Janusz Arnoldt applied via the German Red Cross in the mid-1980s to track down his birth mother, only to be told that the request had been lodged from eastern Europe years before and that a reunion had long since taken place.
The enquiry prompted the German authorities to confront the man posing as Arnoldt and to arrest him. After 10 months in custody and following an extensive investigation by Germany's federal public prosecutor, who discovered at his home his short-wave radio, a photographic laboratory, a briefcase with false compartments and the nutcracker in which he stored secret access codes, Kaczmarek was expelled from Germany.The enquiry prompted the German authorities to confront the man posing as Arnoldt and to arrest him. After 10 months in custody and following an extensive investigation by Germany's federal public prosecutor, who discovered at his home his short-wave radio, a photographic laboratory, a briefcase with false compartments and the nutcracker in which he stored secret access codes, Kaczmarek was expelled from Germany.
In one of the legendary cold war spy swaps that took place on Glienicke Bridge near Berlin, he was exchanged for western spies on 11 February 1986.In one of the legendary cold war spy swaps that took place on Glienicke Bridge near Berlin, he was exchanged for western spies on 11 February 1986.
But a heart-wrenching twist to the tale, and one which the family of the real Janusz Arnoldt has urged the Polish authorities to investigate, was Arnoldt's sudden death at the age of 38 in June 1985, three days after he had discovered that his identity had been stolen by a spy and that his mother was dead. Friends warned him to watch his back. An official protocol stated he had "probably died of a heart attack", but no autopsy was carried out.But a heart-wrenching twist to the tale, and one which the family of the real Janusz Arnoldt has urged the Polish authorities to investigate, was Arnoldt's sudden death at the age of 38 in June 1985, three days after he had discovered that his identity had been stolen by a spy and that his mother was dead. Friends warned him to watch his back. An official protocol stated he had "probably died of a heart attack", but no autopsy was carried out.
His wife, Alicja, would like answers for a husband she said never even saw a photograph of his mother and who was in effect separated from her forever by the spy. She would also like the spy to make a personal apology.His wife, Alicja, would like answers for a husband she said never even saw a photograph of his mother and who was in effect separated from her forever by the spy. She would also like the spy to make a personal apology.
"I really don't know if it had simply all been too much for [Janusz]: the discovery of his stolen identity, his mother's death, or if someone was behind [his death]. But it's certainly strange. He died so quickly, as did his mother, who died immediately after the other man turned up at her door," she said."I really don't know if it had simply all been too much for [Janusz]: the discovery of his stolen identity, his mother's death, or if someone was behind [his death]. But it's certainly strange. He died so quickly, as did his mother, who died immediately after the other man turned up at her door," she said.
The historian Cenckiewicz is convinced that Poland's secret service would have thought the real Janusz Arnoldt knew too much.The historian Cenckiewicz is convinced that Poland's secret service would have thought the real Janusz Arnoldt knew too much.
"I have no proof, but suddenly this man was privy to the fact that the secret service practiced extraordinary operations using stolen identities," he said. "Still to this day, this game remains one of the biggest secrets of the communist secret services. So they would have felt he either had to be integrated or liquidated.""I have no proof, but suddenly this man was privy to the fact that the secret service practiced extraordinary operations using stolen identities," he said. "Still to this day, this game remains one of the biggest secrets of the communist secret services. So they would have felt he either had to be integrated or liquidated."
The story, which is worthy of a plot by John le Carré or Frederick Forsyth, has come to light thanks to the dogged investigative efforts of a Polish author, Rosalia Romaniec. "I was desperate to get to the heart of a story that has haunted me and my family for over three decades," she said. Janusz Arnoldt was her uncle.The story, which is worthy of a plot by John le Carré or Frederick Forsyth, has come to light thanks to the dogged investigative efforts of a Polish author, Rosalia Romaniec. "I was desperate to get to the heart of a story that has haunted me and my family for over three decades," she said. Janusz Arnoldt was her uncle.
The denouement of "The son who never was", which is due to be aired on German television on Saturday night, is an encounter between Romaniec and Jerzy Kaczmarek, whom she tracked down to Poznan, western Poland, where he works at the city's trade fair.The denouement of "The son who never was", which is due to be aired on German television on Saturday night, is an encounter between Romaniec and Jerzy Kaczmarek, whom she tracked down to Poznan, western Poland, where he works at the city's trade fair.
He told her on camera that he had been lured to the job by the image of glamour the secret services had afforded it. "I felt like I was in a spy film. I could work for my country at the same time as living out the fantastical dreams of a super agent, a James Bond figure … that's why I agreed to do it."He told her on camera that he had been lured to the job by the image of glamour the secret services had afforded it. "I felt like I was in a spy film. I could work for my country at the same time as living out the fantastical dreams of a super agent, a James Bond figure … that's why I agreed to do it."
But he claimed not to have known, nor indeed to have had much interest in, the man whose identity he had assumed. "I was just told that he was very sick and it wasn't known how long he would live, so they believed he would never travel again. I had no idea that he knew about his mother, that he would go looking for her … but at the same time, I had no reason to give it much thought," he said.But he claimed not to have known, nor indeed to have had much interest in, the man whose identity he had assumed. "I was just told that he was very sick and it wasn't known how long he would live, so they believed he would never travel again. I had no idea that he knew about his mother, that he would go looking for her … but at the same time, I had no reason to give it much thought," he said.
He flatly denied any involvement in or foreknowledge of the deaths of Janusz and his mother.He flatly denied any involvement in or foreknowledge of the deaths of Janusz and his mother.
Wladyslaw Bulhak, from the Warsaw-based Institute of National Memory, said the practice of identity theft had become official secret service policy after the relaxation of relations between Poland and Germany in 1970.Wladyslaw Bulhak, from the Warsaw-based Institute of National Memory, said the practice of identity theft had become official secret service policy after the relaxation of relations between Poland and Germany in 1970.
"The instruction went out from the secret service headquarters in Warsaw … to concentrate on finding people who were referred to as potential "legendisation donors" and whose identity one could copy or legendise. In particular, orphans or children who had been killed in the war," he said."The instruction went out from the secret service headquarters in Warsaw … to concentrate on finding people who were referred to as potential "legendisation donors" and whose identity one could copy or legendise. In particular, orphans or children who had been killed in the war," he said.
For his part, Kaczmarek said he had been well aware at the time that identity theft was commonplace and believed it continued to this day. Undercover British police were recently exposed by the Guardian as having stolen the identities of dead babies to infiltrate leftwing groups in the UK.For his part, Kaczmarek said he had been well aware at the time that identity theft was commonplace and believed it continued to this day. Undercover British police were recently exposed by the Guardian as having stolen the identities of dead babies to infiltrate leftwing groups in the UK.
"In the cold war secret services adopted big-style the tactic of stealing identities of orphans for espionage, a practice which started in the Soviet Union in the 1920s," he said. "But very few cases have come to light.""In the cold war secret services adopted big-style the tactic of stealing identities of orphans for espionage, a practice which started in the Soviet Union in the 1920s," he said. "But very few cases have come to light."
Romaniec said while her investigation had brought the family some answers, it had left her feeling very uneasy about what she calls the "unknown legacy of the cold war".Romaniec said while her investigation had brought the family some answers, it had left her feeling very uneasy about what she calls the "unknown legacy of the cold war".
"How many cases similar to this are there still in the east and the west?" she asked. "How many people are living with assumed identities, living the life of someone else?""How many cases similar to this are there still in the east and the west?" she asked. "How many people are living with assumed identities, living the life of someone else?"
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