Wednesday, July 7. 2010
The Ulsterman who spied for the STASI, by James O'Fee
The last blog reminds me of the case of the Ulsterman who was revealed as being a spy for the East German STASI.
His name is Robin Pearson, originally from Belfast. Pearson took a degree in German from Edinburgh University, which had an exchange programme with the Karl Marx University of Leipzig. In Leipzig, possibly in 1977, the STASI were able to recruit Pearson as an agent. No doubt the organisation made similar efforts with many other exchange students. Shortly afterwards the neophite agent began work for the STASI by spying on his fellow students.
Pearson took a Master's degree from Edinburgh, then a doctorate in economic history from Leeds University. Later he became a Lecturer at Hull University. At Hull Person supplied information on academics and students to the STASI - notably on the exiled Polish professor, Zygmunt Bauman, suspected of being a supporter of the Polish trade union SOLIDARITY.
It was the BBC 2's TV programme The Spying Game in 1999 which uncovered Pearson double life with the release of STASI files.
One might think that using his position of trust in order to supply a foreign power with information on fellow-academics, to their detriment, might be considered unacceptable behaviour by the university authorities. But no. The University of Hull merely suspended Pearson "from teaching duties" until the end of the academic session in July 2001. Thereafter the University has re-employed Pearson, and he has resumed his academic career. Indeed the University has subsequently promoted Pearson to become its full Professor of Economic History.
Links
Stasi - Wikipedia
Respected lecturer's double life BBC News Monday, 20 September, 1999
Ulster lecturer named as a spy Newsletter (Belfast) September 1999
It used to be the Stasi who spied on us. Today, the media does the snooping Timothy Garton Ash, Independent Tuesday, 21 September 1999
University suspends alleged spy BBC News Education Monday, 7 February, 2000
'Stasi spy' lecturer gets 18-month suspension Independent Tuesday, 8 February 2000
When intelligent people work for the enemy - Christopher Hill, John Roper and Robin Pearson The Social Affairs Unit October 28, 2004
Professor Robin Pearson University of Hull
Robin Pearson
Pearson took a Master's degree from Edinburgh, then a doctorate in economic history from Leeds University. Later he became a Lecturer at Hull University. At Hull Person supplied information on academics and students to the STASI - notably on the exiled Polish professor, Zygmunt Bauman, suspected of being a supporter of the Polish trade union SOLIDARITY.
It was the BBC 2's TV programme The Spying Game in 1999 which uncovered Pearson double life with the release of STASI files.
One might think that using his position of trust in order to supply a foreign power with information on fellow-academics, to their detriment, might be considered unacceptable behaviour by the university authorities. But no. The University of Hull merely suspended Pearson "from teaching duties" until the end of the academic session in July 2001. Thereafter the University has re-employed Pearson, and he has resumed his academic career. Indeed the University has subsequently promoted Pearson to become its full Professor of Economic History.
Links
Stasi - Wikipedia
Respected lecturer's double life BBC News Monday, 20 September, 1999
Ulster lecturer named as a spy Newsletter (Belfast) September 1999
It used to be the Stasi who spied on us. Today, the media does the snooping Timothy Garton Ash, Independent Tuesday, 21 September 1999
University suspends alleged spy BBC News Education Monday, 7 February, 2000
'Stasi spy' lecturer gets 18-month suspension Independent Tuesday, 8 February 2000
When intelligent people work for the enemy - Christopher Hill, John Roper and Robin Pearson The Social Affairs Unit October 28, 2004
Professor Robin Pearson University of Hull
STASI agents, by James O'Fee
The jouirnalist Marianne Wichert-Quoirin has been mentioned several times on the blog, as well as her book Agentinnen aus Liebe, which concerns East German spies in West Germany - see, for example More on Marianne Wichert-Quoirin, Saturday, December 12. 2009.
Marianne has sent me a copy of the the book by post, which arrived recently. I look forward to reading it in full viz.
Agentinnen aus Liebe: Warum Frauen für den Osten Spionierten, Marianne Quoirin, Eichborn, Frankfurt am Main, 1999.
More specifically, the book deals with the female secretaries in Bonn recruited by the East German STASI in a planned, co-ordinated operation. 'Stasi' is the German nickname for the Ministerium für Staatssicherheit, the 'Ministry for State Security' which controlled the East German secret police.
Marianne has written the book under her maiden name of Marianne Quoirin and the dust cover explains that she was born in 1944 in East Prussia. As discussed before, this was specifically the city of Memel. 'Memel' is the German name for both the city and a nearby river; and it's the river to which Hoffmann von Fallersleben refers in his Das Lied der Deutschen or Deutschlandlied which became the German national anthem-
Von der Maas bis an die Memel,
Von der Etsch bis an den Belt
The Lithuanian name for the city is Klaipėda. The city has experienced a chequered history. It was a German stronghold under the Teutonic Knights and was later incorporated into the Duchy of Prussia, which became the Kingdom of Prussia in 1701. Later in the same century the German Prussians acquired from the Poles lands to the west which they named 'West Prussia', and so the original Prussia was renamed 'East Prussia'. Memel became part of the German Empire in 1871 but with the Empire's defeat in 1918 fell under Entente control. In 1923 Lithuania invaded and annexed Memel and its surrounding region. In 1939, shortly before the outbreak of the Second World War. Hitler delivered an ultimatum to Lithuania which led to the incorporation of Memel within the German Reich. The territory reverted to Lithuania, within the Sovirt Union, with the end of the World War.
The dust jacket tells me as well that Marianne studied Law in Cologne. She has directed her attention to the Northern Ireland conflict, and has won several prizes, namely the Theodor Wolff Prize (1984), the Prize of the German AIDS Foundation (1987) and the Press Prize of the German Lawyers' Organisation (1990).
Blog Links
Memel, Wednesday, December 9. 2009
National Anthems Part 2, Tuesday, June 17. 2008
Links
Klaipėda - Wikipedia
Marianne has sent me a copy of the the book by post, which arrived recently. I look forward to reading it in full viz.
Agentinnen aus Liebe: Warum Frauen für den Osten Spionierten, Marianne Quoirin, Eichborn, Frankfurt am Main, 1999.
More specifically, the book deals with the female secretaries in Bonn recruited by the East German STASI in a planned, co-ordinated operation. 'Stasi' is the German nickname for the Ministerium für Staatssicherheit, the 'Ministry for State Security' which controlled the East German secret police.
Memel
Von der Maas bis an die Memel,
Von der Etsch bis an den Belt
The Lithuanian name for the city is Klaipėda. The city has experienced a chequered history. It was a German stronghold under the Teutonic Knights and was later incorporated into the Duchy of Prussia, which became the Kingdom of Prussia in 1701. Later in the same century the German Prussians acquired from the Poles lands to the west which they named 'West Prussia', and so the original Prussia was renamed 'East Prussia'. Memel became part of the German Empire in 1871 but with the Empire's defeat in 1918 fell under Entente control. In 1923 Lithuania invaded and annexed Memel and its surrounding region. In 1939, shortly before the outbreak of the Second World War. Hitler delivered an ultimatum to Lithuania which led to the incorporation of Memel within the German Reich. The territory reverted to Lithuania, within the Sovirt Union, with the end of the World War.
The dust jacket tells me as well that Marianne studied Law in Cologne. She has directed her attention to the Northern Ireland conflict, and has won several prizes, namely the Theodor Wolff Prize (1984), the Prize of the German AIDS Foundation (1987) and the Press Prize of the German Lawyers' Organisation (1990).
Blog Links
Memel, Wednesday, December 9. 2009
National Anthems Part 2, Tuesday, June 17. 2008
Links
Klaipėda - Wikipedia
Persecution, by Release International
Release International Prayer AlertTuesday, July 6, 2010
PAKISTAN – Release partner rescues Christian family from mob
Lahore
Yousaf Masih and his wife Suria Bibi, with their daughters and son-in-law, were snatched to safety yesterday, as an ugly scene developed outside their home in Punjab's capital.
Summoned by mosque loudspeakers, hundreds of angry Muslims began protesting when one of Yousaf's neighbours accused the family of blaspheming against the Koran. The family managed to seek refuge at a relative's home – and made an emergency call for help to a Release partner.
A rescue team had to track down the stricken family at considerable risk to themselves. Their vehicle was reportedly chased but they escaped unharmed.
According to our partner, the accusations followed the discovery that the family, who live in poor, rented accommodation, had made a temporary roof for their bathroom out of a 'banner' which, unbeknown to them, bore a Koranic verse.
Yousaf, Suria and another son-in-law, Zahid, have now been charged with blasphemy under Section 295B of Pakistan's blasphemy laws.
(Source: Release partner)
-Ask God to protect this Christian family, who are now in hiding.
-Pray for justice for Yousaf, Suria and Zahid. Pray that all charges against them will be dropped immediately, avoiding long, drawn-out legal proceedings.
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