Der Häftlingsfreikauf

An important chapter in the history of German-German relations, which has long gone unnoticed by the public, was the purchase of political prisoners from East German prisons by the Federal Republic. For several decades, the respective federal governments attempted to achieve humanitarian concessions for the citizens of the GDR through economic benefits offered to the SED leadership. In addition to the release of political prisoners, this also included the reunification of families that had been torn apart by the construction of the Wall. As a result of these continuous efforts by West Germany, numerous exits from the GDR were made possible.

This study presents with great expertise and extensive source material the motivations behind this transfer, how it took place, and why the purchase of prisoners had a profound long-term impact on the societal development in the GDR.

Alexander Koch offers a comprehensive and highly substantiated study on the purchase of prisoners by the Federal Republic. Through many personal conversations and written contacts with eyewitnesses, as well as the study of numerous archives and document collections, along with a wide range of relevant literature, he successfully presents this special topic of shared German post-war history in an impressive manner.