There's a German Crime for That

On October 7, 1987, disgraced German politician Uwe Barschel was found dead in the bathtub of a Swiss hotel by a gossip magazine journalist. The journalist took a now-iconic picture of a dapper but deceased Barschel, helping keep the story of his mysterious passing alive. Barschel's dirty tricks in a recent campaign had become national news but Barschel himself was involved in much bigger things - peddling German submarines to a shunned apartheid-era South Africa and selling arms via East Germany as part of the Iran Contra affair. He was even married to a von Bismarck, attaching him to Germany's history. Swiss police botched the investigation and much of the evidence just disappeared. Was that because Barschel's death was a simple suicide or were - as his wife and prosecutors believe - more sinister powers at work? The East German secret police, the Stasi, the CIA or other arms dealers? Also: Thomas has a new job.

The crime: The murder of trust custodian Detlev Rohwedder on April 1, 1991 The guest: Sylvia Lundschien, journalist Recorded in the new Berliner Zeitung podcast studio! On April 1, 1991, Detlev Rohwedder was murdered while standing in the library of his villa on the shores of the Rhine River in Dusseldorf. Investigators found a note claiming responsibility as well as a spent casing and a towel across the street from his house in a smal garden colony. The RAF leftwing terrorist group said they assassinated Rohwedder in revenge for his efforts to liquidate assets from the former East Germany. But plenty of other people may have wanted him dead as well.   Like us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/theresagermancrimeforthat) or my Twitter (@drewportnoy). Recorded on Rhode microphones with an aging Zoom H4n. Edited by Andrew Bulkeley in Audacity.

The crime: The 54-hour Gladbeck hostage drama in West Germany The guest: Christoph Schmid, friend, comedian, father. Recorded in the new Berliner Zeitung podcast studio! On August 16, 1988, Hans-Jürgen Rösner and Dieter Degowski were caught robbing a bank in the Dortmund suburb of Gladbeck in what was then West Germany. An ensuing hostage drama involved four different vehicles, two countries and one municipal bus. It's hard to say who behaved worse: The criminals, German police officials or the media. Here's actual video from the crime as well as interviews with at least one hostage: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qgh5j1SpI4 Like us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/theresagermancrimeforthat) or my Twitter (@drewportnoy). Christoph's comedy page (https://www.facebook.com/topfschmidcomedy). Recorded on Rhode microphones with an aging Zoom H4n. Edited by Andrew Bulkeley in Audacity.

The crime: Serial killer Fritz Honka killed four women in Hamburg The guest: Sylvia Lundschien, Inforadio journalist A simple google brings more information about Friedrich Paul "Fritz" Honka than you could ever need.  Here's his wikipedia page. His life was the basis for the (German) book Goldene Handschuh by performer Heinz Strunk (Amazon affiliate link) and the (German) film of the same name by Fatih Akin (Amazon affiliate link). A report on his conviction that includes video of him entering the courtroom. 

The Crime: Theft of the Big Maple Leaf, a coin worth $6mln The Guest: Summer Banks, improv comedian, translator Recorded in Saaldeck Cafe & Bar on Karl-Marx-Allee in Berlin which, in hindsight, was maybe not the best decision. More about the coins here.

The Crime: A simple underworld hit in a questionable Berlin neighborhood turns into something much, much darker. The Guest: Thomas Ewald, writer and comedian. Update: Vadim K. was charged with murder and gun charges on June 18, 2020 and remains in a German prison awaiting trial.