East German Held as Spy in West Germany

An East German who tried to recruit a West German scientist as a spy has been charged with espionage, the federal prosecutor’s office said Wednesday.

It said in a statement that Klaus Doeblitz, 54, had attempted seven years ago to recruit a West German scientist carrying out research at the East German state archives in Potsdam to work for the East Berlin Ministry of State Security.

Doeblitz made a second attempt to recruit the scientist on May 25 this year when he visited the West German at his Hamburg home, but police were waiting and arrested him, the office said.