Talk:Markus Wolf

Homeland Security
Has Wolfe been hired by Homeland Security or not? I've found some sources on the subject, none of which inspire too much confindence. Anyone have anything? Crocodilicus 04:34, 5 November 2006 (UTC)
 * I found here in the www an article, but it is in german. --Japan01 (talk) 09:37, 22 July 2008 (UTC)

Here is another source claiming he was working for Homeland Security: http://rense.com/general84/martial.htm —Preceding unsigned comment added by Henrikhenrik (talk • contribs) 07:48, 13 January 2009 (UTC)

Lets say no: "Markus Wolfe Ineligible for U.S. Visa Due to Terrorist Activity" http://secretary.state.gov/www/briefings/9706/970609db.html --  — Preceding unsigned comment added by 91.5.180.42 (talk) 07:11, 30 March 2012 (UTC)

I have added David Cornwell's (John le Carre's) denial of his modelling Karla on Wolf. He has debunked this in the past. However, I have included only his most recent denial (quoted in Wolf's obit), because it does make reference to his past statements. When an author specifically and repeatedly makes a statement of this nature, I believe his statement must be referenced when making any assertions regarding that author's intentions.

Criminal?
Sorry but Markus Wolf is not person for this category. He is guilty only because East German state has stoped to exist !! Any chief of secret service has minimal 1 time in life been guilty of:
 * In 1997 he was convicted of unlawful detention, coercion, and bodily harm, and was given a suspended sentence of two years imprisonment. rjecina 16:10, 23 November 2006 (UTC)
 * He was convicted, that should be enough.--AchtungAchtung 18:06, 15 February 2007 (UTC)
 * I think the "criminal" category is problematic for Wikipedia in general.--Jack Upland (talk) 09:33, 25 October 2009 (UTC)
 * Not to forget that the Stasi was not an ordinary secret service, dear rjecina, but a secret police just like the Gestapo: The Stasi killed numerous people, tortured opponents, ran secret prisons, and was not subject to any public or democratic or judicial control. I think you should differentiate better. Best regards: --2003:E3:D3D8:2500:7195:B973:8DFA:AAE8 (talk) 16:46, 24 February 2019 (UTC)

WikiProject class rating
This article was automatically assessed because at least one article was rated and this bot brought all the other ratings up to at least that level. BetacommandBot 23:31, 27 August 2007 (UTC)

Reconnaissance v. Intelligence
I've replaced the non-idiomatic translation of "Aufklaerung" ("Reconnaissance") with the idiomatic "intelligence." "Aufklaerung" can be translated "reconnaissance" in a military sense: "Aufklaerer" would be forward military reconnaissance units. But in the case of an espionage service like the HVA, "intelligence" is the better translation. The HVA had nothing to do with reconnaissance in the military sense of the term. "Aufklaerung" also refers to the Enlightenment, and was part of the title of Goebbels' Ministry for Propaganda and Public Enlightenment. The most egregious mistranslation of HVA that I encountered was several years ago in the New York Times, which had it as "Central Enlightenment Headquarters." —Preceding unsigned comment added by Langohio (talk • contribs) 18:39, 2 February 2009 (UTC)


 * Hauptverwaltung Aufklärung does, indeed, mean Central or Head Enlightenment Headquarters or Office. This is not an egregious mistranslation.Lestrade (talk) 04:30, 27 April 2009 (UTC)Lestrade

Timing of seeking asylum
Would someone shed light on the exact date that Wolf fled East Germany? That could finally debunk the reunification 'surprise' which so many people believe to be another one of Kohl's deceptions. Officially, he heard about reunification from Ackermann phone call on the night, and in an awfully convenient way he could renounce German rights in Poland right there and then.

Wolf's departure day would matter here - and if the US had offered him money, that would also be a day THEY had known about the forthcoming reunification. Radio Free Europe stopped being jammed in December 1988. Other people say that US sources were aware of German reunification as early as 1986, tried to prepare West Germans but these did not believe it and refused all preparations. 144.136.176.246 (talk) 06:30, 26 June 2011 (UTC)

He fled on 27.09.1990, he knew that he would be arrested at 3.10.1990. btw: the raw date of the "reunification" was public known more a half year in advance. Since winter 89/early spring 90 it was clear&well known that a reunification will be. facts: at July, 1. 1990 was the monetary/social reunification (DDM was exchanged in DM). the Volkskammer (east german parliament) decided @ the end of august 1990 the date of the reunification (negotiations about this was at this point almost finished). btw: since december 89 there was a open border (no control) between east&west Germany and intelligence agencies (like BND or CIA) could move free in the GDR. btw2: since 86 many ppl in the GDR knew that things will change, but not in which way (the actual political generation whas on the end of her biological age, the GDR was struggled with massive economical problams asf asf). 88/89 was a wild time. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 83.221.80.103 (talk) 23:42, 10 November 2012 (UTC)

Reference to Säpo
Säpo was formed in 1989 but the article states Wolf was photographed by Säpo in 1978. How is this possible? Leveni (talk) 04:30, 9 Oct 2019 (UTC)
 * "Säpo", short for "Säkerhetspolisen", was the commonly used name for the Swedish Security Service in 1978, even though it didn't get that name officially until its 1989 reorganization. The link goes to a page describing both the Säpo of 1989 and its various predecessors under different official names.  The official designation in 1978 would have been (abbreviated) RPS/Säk. 92.35.29.110 (talk) 18:38, 18 April 2020 (UTC)

Franz Wolf
Markus Wolf's "Personal life" is dominated by a generalised critique of his son Franz, whose "numerous very controversial business interests" do not appear to have anything to do with his father. There is no explanation of what the controversies are actually about, apart from the specific mention of the Prestige oil spill - FW is not mentioned in that article, nor in one of the references (and there is only a brief passing mention in the other). I have deleted most of this para per WP:BLP.

The deleted section could be expanded into a separate article if Franz Wolf is actually notable per WP:GNG and WP:BIO. Bizarrely, the first reference in that section said "About "Mischa" Wolf's son Franz, however, almost nothing is known to this day"! Personally, I doubt his independent notability - he seems to be a senior functionary in the management of a network of companies owned by Mikhail Fridman, but that's all. He doesn't inherit notability from his father, his boss or the companies he looks after. Davidships (talk) 01:30, 30 November 2021 (UTC)