By Michael Sauerbier
He paved the way for the Tesla factory, with 11,000 new jobs. Grünheide’s mayor Arne Christiani (63, non-party) is now threatened with the inglorious political end. A new report convicts him of being a Stasi spy, “Peter Förster,” who betrayed 27 people to the GDR secret service.
The respected Stasi expert Prof. Helmut Müller-Enbergs (63) wrote the explosive report. After a long wait, in July he was given access to the complete file of the unofficial employee (IM) “Peter Förster” from the Stasi records archive: 3,000 pages with secret meetings, spy assignments and reports. And a voluntary commitment to work with the Stasi, which Christiani had always denied.
“I have never committed myself, neither in writing nor by handshake,” the town hall boss told the BZ in June 2022, when a first, redacted short version of his file was available. “I also didn’t carry out any orders for the Stasi.” The secret service only read the reports that he had to write as a foreign tour guide.
The new report says the opposite.
The Stasi file of Arne Christiani alias “Peter Förster” has 3,000 pages – the expert evaluated 165 Photo: Janine Richter/MOZ
Christiani had been providing information to the Stasi since August 1987. Initially only as a “contact person” (KP). On April 19, 1988, his senior officer noted at a conspiratorial meeting: “The CP was asked whether it was willing to cooperate unofficially with our organ. He agreed to work together with a handshake. He chose “Peter Förster” as his code name.”
“As assigned, Christiani prepared a report about an acquaintance from Hangelsberg,” states Müller-Enbergs, “as assigned, he checked a property to see whether a car with a West German background was parked there. As instructed, Christiani took the time to have a conversation with a person who had traveled to the GDR and to report repeatedly about him.”
According to the file, Christiani sometimes took vacation or time off for his spy assignments. He then reported on visitors to the West, colleagues, acquaintances, relatives, their health, alcohol consumption and their view of the GDR. Shortly before the fall of the Berlin Wall, he signed a Stasi statement regarding his behavior if he were arrested as an East agent during a trip to the West.
Stasi expert Prof. Helmut Müller-Enbergs (62) wrote the explosive report Photo: picture alliance
“In total, 27 people were identified about whom Arne Christiani provided information according to the files,” according to the report. “The acceptance of orders to obtain information and the delivery of information to the MfS leaves no room for serious doubt as to whether Mr. Christiani is considered an employee of the MfS.” MfS means: Ministry for State Security.
Müller-Enbergs is scheduled to present his report to Grünheid community representatives on October 12th. “We assume that a majority will then support the initiation of proceedings to vote out the mayor,” said Citizens’ Alliance parliamentary group leader Thomas Wötzel to the Märkische Oderzeitung.
Mayor Christiani “knowingly and repeatedly lied” to the public, his voters and the municipal council.