The next report on my activities shocked me when I first read it. The source of the information is again IMV “Kurt.” His report is dated December 11, 1975. The subject is Richard Zipser, American Germanist. The topic is transporting tapes with interviews to West Berlin.
Z. called on me on Thursday, Dec. 4, 1975, at around 4:45 p.m., and asked me to drive him in Klaus SCHLESINGER’s automobile to the avenue Unter den Linden; there he would give the tape recordings he had made on cassettes to someone who would bring them to Berlin West for him. When I asked him why he hadn’t taken them to Berlin West himself in his automobile, he said that would probably work with two or three cassettes but not with 15. We then went to see Klaus SCHLESINGER, who gave me his car keys and handed ZIPSER the cassettes which were in a plastic bag (5:00 p.m.). Klaus SCHLESINGER was storing the cassettes for Zipser, since he (Zipser) had in the meantime been staying in Westberlin.
During our ride in the direction of the Brandenburg Gate, I asked Zipser if this method was certain; in response he said he assumed so, but preferred not to comment further so no one would get in trouble. Without being asked directly, ZIPSER said he had been in the USA-Embassy to ask if they could possibly transport the cassettes to Westberlin. His request was rejected with regrets because the embassy is not permitted to provide assistance of that sort. However, they did give him a tip, the name of a person to contact, someone who was now waiting for him and prepared to take delivery of the cassettes. When I observed that he would surely know tomorrow if it had worked out, ZIPSER said he would not be certain until Saturday. We drove along Unter den Linden, across the Friedrichstrasse, and up to the parking place in the sketch on the other side of the page. [A detailed sketch showing streets, buildings—including the American Embassy, and where the car was parked, is attached to this report.] ZIPSER showed me the way as we drove and also told me where to park and wait for him. He reckoned it would not take a long time.
I waited for about 20 minutes, from 5:15 to 5:35 p.m. ZIPSER returned from the same direction. We drove back to Klaus SCHLESINGER’s place and dropped off his automobile. Vis-à-vis SCHLESINGER, ZIPSER also avoided saying anything about the transport of the cassettes. To the following question from Klaus SCHLESINGER, “. . . in the consulate was it. . .,” Zipser fended him off rather decisively by interrupting and saying something like: “. . . no, no, not at all, completely different. . .” Then ZIPSER bade farewell to SCHLESINGER until April 1976. We returned to my place. ZIPSER stayed until 8:00 p.m.
During this time the topic outlined above resurfaced only once. I affirmed to ZIPSER that embassies as a general rule refuse to do a thing like that, whereupon ZIPSER once again stressed that I needn’t give this matter any more thought, because it really had nothing to do with the embassy or consulate. He bade farewell to me as well until April 1976.
1. Based on my feeling, I would say that it really is about going through the embassy or consulate:
2. ZIPSER’s rather strong defensive reaction when I began speaking about this possibility.
3. ZIPSER’s reaction vis-á-vis Schlesinger.
Position of the automobile and ZIPSER’s chosen path, whereby I am making the assumption that this path led inevitably to the embassy district on the rear side of the Polish People’s Republic Embassy and the Hungarian People’s Republic Embassy. Unless, ZIPSER made a decisive detour intentionally, in order to head in another direction beyond my field of vision. Also, the time of just 20 minutes, if one considers that during the handover ZIPSER still had organizational matters to discuss about the receipt in Westberlin. I think it is very important to realize that only ZIPSER and I are informed about the entire course of events. Klaus SCHLESINGER only knows the context relating directly to him, and for that reason only ZIPSER, Klaus SCHLESINGER and I are aware of this.
Remembering East Germany 