Returned to German hands
On October 3, 1990, the U.S. Military Liaison Mission concluded its work. Other intelligence units packed up boxes of files to be shipped off to “somewhere” in the Continental U.S., overseen by long-time security chief Theodore “Teddy” B. Mohr. When asked about where the files had gone, one U.S. Army captain wryly queried “didn’t you see the end of the Raiders of the Lost Ark?” By 1994 the buildings were empty.
In 2002, I returned to Berlin for the first time since 1971, supposing it would be interesting one time with the focus on the Berlin U.S. Military Veterans reunion. It turned out to be the first of a half dozen visits with professional reasons, with extra time spent on the trail of Cold War history.
On a sunny summer afternoon on the terrace of an Italian restaurant overlooking Mexikoplatz, retired U.S. Air Force officer Arik Komets reviewed some of the material that he had gathered as he researched the history of refugee intelligence operations. It was to become two books, masterpieces of investigation, in German.
When we had wrapped up the discussion, he had a question for this visitor.
“I suppose you’re going to take a look at the place where you lived?” Of course, that was a reason for our rendezvous at Mexikoplatz, near Sven-Hedin-Strasse 11.
“Just don’t take any photos of it.” And so, that was how I learned that activities were continuing in the house that was not a home. Arik headed to his home.
Walking along familiar Sven-Hedin-Strasse, it was easy to recall meeting the beat policeman with a polite nod in 1970-71. This time, a police car appeared from around the corner and slowly cruised past. No photos were taken.
On December 15, 2022 the neighborhood edition of Tagespiegel reported that in August 1999, August Hanning, the President of the Federal Intelligence Service [BND], had moved into his new official villa. From then on, top spies met in Zehlendorf: the ground floor was converted into a BND office. Successive German intelligence chiefs also resided in Sven-Hedin-Strasse – until the house, which was in need of renovation, no longer met the requirements of the top secret agents. Years of standstill followed. The Federal Agency for Real Estate took over – and began planning for the housing construction.
In 2024, Berliner Morgenpost ran a more detailed report in its “Lost Places” webpage. It was reported that by the time that the BND moved out, rain was coming through the roof.
Below, an illustration of the continuing work at the house that was not a home.
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Heinrich, Kerstin; District Reporter; Berliner Morgenpost; Lost Places in Berlin: Nazi-Nest & BND-Villa – Zehlendorfs geheimstes Luxus-Landhaus ; Berlin; May 16, 2024.
Komets-Chimirri, Arik; Götz Schlicht – Im Dienste dreier Diktaturen; bebra wissenschaft verlag GmbH; Berlin; 2014.
Komets-Chimirri, Arik; Operation Falsche Flagge – Wie der KGB den Western unterwanderte; bebra wissenschaft verlag GmbH; Berlin; 2014.
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