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German and Soviet intelligence activities in Sweden in 1944: Voldemar Blankenfelds and the deportation of Baron Bernd von Gossler

Matz, Johan LU (2014) In Journal of Intelligence History p.111-130
Abstract (Swedish)
This article addresses the intricate and previously untold story of a German attempt in 1944 to have an agent, the Latvian Voldemar Blankenfelds, dispatched by boat, via Sweden, to South America where a German intelligence network was being established. Shortly after his arrival in Sweden in June 1944, however, Blankenfelds got in touch with the British diplomatic mission in Stockholm, told them of his assignment and became a double agent, maintaining contacts with the Germans while continually providing information to the British, who in turn kept the Swedish police informed. Blankenfelds was later arrested and interrogated by the Swedes and, when released, agreed to provide them with information as well. He thereby significantly... (More)
This article addresses the intricate and previously untold story of a German attempt in 1944 to have an agent, the Latvian Voldemar Blankenfelds, dispatched by boat, via Sweden, to South America where a German intelligence network was being established. Shortly after his arrival in Sweden in June 1944, however, Blankenfelds got in touch with the British diplomatic mission in Stockholm, told them of his assignment and became a double agent, maintaining contacts with the Germans while continually providing information to the British, who in turn kept the Swedish police informed. Blankenfelds was later arrested and interrogated by the Swedes and, when released, agreed to provide them with information as well. He thereby significantly contributed to the arrest and extradition of a German agent in Sweden – the Head of the German tourist agency in Sweden, Baron Bernd von Gossler. Blankenfelds’ assignment to America was repeatedly delayed throughout the autumn of 1944 and by late October, Berlin ordered the mission to be called off altogether. In the meantime, the Germans had tried to have Blankenfelds engage in intelligence activities in Sweden aimed at the Baltic refugee community. Blankenfelds refused however to cooperate. Newly declassified Soviet encrypted cables, together with archival material from Blankenfelds’ file in the archive of Swedish security police, reveal striking similarities between German and Soviet intelligence objectives regarding the Baltic refugees in Sweden. (Less)
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author
publishing date
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Contribution to journal
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published
subject
in
Journal of Intelligence History
pages
19 pages
publisher
Taylor & Francis
ISSN
1616-1262
language
Swedish
LU publication?
no
id
632c1329-44b9-43e4-b241-2be1ac580f80
alternative location
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/16161262.2014.896109?casa_token=jFjopFU3uA0AAAAA%3Al8220kX1An_yRO6pwnWhymq0WGHztJjCAUjXC8P96GCtNZxFsCm6WqeYYXnkp2UUKlJUVCJBnS3lk-w
date added to LUP
2022-03-18 17:31:59
date last changed
2022-03-22 13:36:49
@article{632c1329-44b9-43e4-b241-2be1ac580f80,
  abstract     = {{This article addresses the intricate and previously untold story of a German attempt in 1944 to have an agent, the Latvian Voldemar Blankenfelds, dispatched by boat, via Sweden, to South America where a German intelligence network was being established. Shortly after his arrival in Sweden in June 1944, however, Blankenfelds got in touch with the British diplomatic mission in Stockholm, told them of his assignment and became a double agent, maintaining contacts with the Germans while continually providing information to the British, who in turn kept the Swedish police informed. Blankenfelds was later arrested and interrogated by the Swedes and, when released, agreed to provide them with information as well. He thereby significantly contributed to the arrest and extradition of a German agent in Sweden – the Head of the German tourist agency in Sweden, Baron Bernd von Gossler. Blankenfelds’ assignment to America was repeatedly delayed throughout the autumn of 1944 and by late October, Berlin ordered the mission to be called off altogether. In the meantime, the Germans had tried to have Blankenfelds engage in intelligence activities in Sweden aimed at the Baltic refugee community. Blankenfelds refused however to cooperate. Newly declassified Soviet encrypted cables, together with archival material from Blankenfelds’ file in the archive of Swedish security police, reveal striking similarities between German and Soviet intelligence objectives regarding the Baltic refugees in Sweden.}},
  author       = {{Matz, Johan}},
  issn         = {{1616-1262}},
  language     = {{swe}},
  pages        = {{111--130}},
  publisher    = {{Taylor & Francis}},
  series       = {{Journal of Intelligence History}},
  title        = {{German and Soviet intelligence activities in Sweden in 1944: Voldemar Blankenfelds and the deportation of Baron Bernd von Gossler}},
  url          = {{https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/16161262.2014.896109?casa_token=jFjopFU3uA0AAAAA%3Al8220kX1An_yRO6pwnWhymq0WGHztJjCAUjXC8P96GCtNZxFsCm6WqeYYXnkp2UUKlJUVCJBnS3lk-w}},
  year         = {{2014}},
}