Background Report: The Fateful Repercussions of the Assassination of Alfred Herrhausen
On October 1 and 3, the German first channel TV ARD broadcast a two-part fictionalized film on Alfred Herrhausen, the Deutsche Bank chairman who was assassinated on Nov. 30, 1989, in circumstances that remain unclarified to this day. Putting aside the fictional and entertainment aspects of the film, it touches on very important issues concerning the life, work and death of Herrhausen, which have implications for the trajectory Germany took after his death, quite different from the one envisioned by the banker.
Third world country indebtedness, Germany’s friendship with Russia and, last but not least, the fateful decision to surrender monetary sovereignty in exchange for German reunification, are a few of the leitmotifs of the film, along with, of course, the assassination itself, whose executors are identified as RAF terrorists, trained and equipped in Lebanon by the radical PFLP Palestinian guerrilla, but under the supervision and approval of both the East German intelligence agency Stasi and the CIA.
Script author Thomas Wendrich explained in Munich last year that his aim was to show, as in a classical criminal investigation, all the figures and interests who might have had a motive to eliminate Herrhausen. In the end, we see a convergence of several persons and agencies. The most important motive, definitely, is Herrhausen’s role in the “tactical support” (in his words) of Russia – and, in perspective, of the DDR and former communist countries – in transitioning to a market economy.
The authors and producers worked for five years, seeking out original sources, documents and witnesses, including Herrhausen’s widow Traudl, who gave a long interview. Astonishingly, all the files on Herrhausen have been removed from the Stasi archives, and from German archives! Even from the U.S., they were unable to receive anything through the Freedom of Information Act.
However, they did come across a speech given by Henry Kissinger during a visit of Herrhausen to the U.S., in which he publically warned the German banker that he was going too far with his credits to Moscow. The Deutsche Bank had granted those credits despite the fact that then-Chancellor Kohl, who had pushed for it, did not link them to concrete projects, as Herrhausen had insisted. The latter’s relationship to Kohl is well described in their last meeting, shortly before his assassination. Kohl has been just given an ultimatum by French President Francois Mitterrand: in exchange for reunification, Germany would have to give up the D-Mark.
“Kohl: The French are demanding it, what should I do?
Herrhausen: Reject it! First we need an overall economic plan for the economies in Eastern and Southern Europe!
K: Then make a plan…
H: But not at this speed! It can’t be done overnight!
K: Oh, you can do it faster…
H: Helmut, I’m also in favor of a pan-European solution, that’s clear; but the Eastern Bloc countries are a powder keg without tactical help! How do you want to integrate them?
K: For the time being, we’ll just integrate the zone, proceed on sight, then we’ll see.
H: If we rush it now, we’ll lose any contr…
K: We have a unique opportunity as long as Gorbachev holds out…
H: Who is going to pay for it? Without an overall economic plan for the whole of Europe, everyone is cooking their own soup and we are footing the bill!
K: …and get it back twice and three times over! What’s so difficult to understand about that? Alfred. We say yes to Mitterrand. In return, he’ll let us do what we want with the GDR and then we’ll see.”
