Introduction

Millions of people fled to the West before the Berlin Wall came down. But fleeing to the East, to what was then the GDR? A much less known piece of contemporary history.

German title: “Hinter feindlichen Linien – Nato-Deserteure in der DDR”.

Outline

Based on the life story of three deserters (Victor Grossman, Jan Stoops, James W. Pulley), the documentary tells an unknown piece of cold war history: the flight of more than 150 NATO soldiers to what was then East Germany. They broke ties with their homeland for various reasons: traumatic experiences in the Korean War, fear of being deployed in Indochina or to escape racist hostilities. Some fled after a dispute with superiors, after crimes or sometimes under the influence of alcohol. Some offered their knowledge to the military and intelligence services.

The GDR authorities let the deserters live together in one place so that they could keep a better eye on them. Deserters are traitors in the eyes of their army. You will be severely punished. Still, there are deserters in every army. But why did NATO soldiers flee to the GDR in the 1950s and 1960s? While hundreds of thousands wanted to go to the West, more than 150 NATO soldiers deserted to East Germany. In the West you had freedom and prosperity – why did you flee to real existing socialism? What was their motivation? What did they become?

In order to educate the deserters in a socialist way, they were taught and examined in an Jugend style villa in Bautzen. Everyone was suspected of being a spy. Not only the Stasi, but also the FBI monitored the deserters for decades. For more than 40 years they were not allowed to return to their homeland and led a life behind enemy lines. With previously unknown FBI files, numerous documents, re-enactment and experts, the historical documentation illuminates the fate of the deserters.

Production & Filming Details

• Director(s):
  • Dietrich Duppel
• Producer(s):
  • Dietrich Duppel
• Writer(s):
  • Dietrich Duppel
• Music:
• Cinematography:
• Editor(s):
• Production:
  • Doclights GmbH Production with ZDF
• Distributor(s):
  • ZDF
• Release Date: 2015
• Running time: 44 minutes
• Rating: Unknown.
• Country: Germany.
• Language: German.

Video Link(s)

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