Friedrich August Freiherr Von Der Heydte - The "Spiegel" Affair

The "Spiegel" Affair

Both as head of the Institute for Military Law at University of Würzburg and as a Colonel in the Reserve, von der Heydte challenged in 1962 the weekly magazine "Der Spiegel" when it wrote an article about the scandalous state of affairs within the Bundeswehr. He accused the editors of high treason because they had reviled the military weaknesses of the newly formed Bundeswehr to the public (and thereby to the Soviets). Because of this accusation and von der Heydte's position as an expert in Military Law, the issue was brought to a federal court, triggering what was to be known as the Spiegel-Affäre with numerous arrests of journalists and others connected to that publication. This caused a public out-cry followed by demonstrations and public debates. The "Speigel" Affair can be said to be the first sign of a change in the popular beliefs in West Germany - and the progenitor of all the protest later in that decade against all former Nazi German officials still in office. Von der Heydte was heavily criticised for his actions by several prominent West-German politicians and in 1965 a court freed the editors of Der Spiegel of all accusations.

Friedrich August Freiherr von der Heydte died in Aham, Landshut, in 1994 after a long illness.