Paul Reckzeh

Paul Reckzeh (November 4, 1913 in Berlin – March 31, 1996 in Hamburg) was a physician and Gestapo spy who, at the end of 1943, betrayed the members of the Solf Circle, which he had joined while claiming to be a Swiss doctor. His betrayal led to the imprisonment and death of many Solf Circle members.

Education

Reckzeh was born as the son of medicine professor Paul Reckzeh.^[1] He studied medicine from 1933 to 1939. At the age of 20 he became member of the NSDAP. After his promotion he was an assistant doctor in the hospital of Birkenwerder in 1940. He also worked for the Reichsärztekammer and at the Reichsministerium für die besetzten Ostgebiete. In 1944 he became a Stabsarzt in the Organisation Todt. Since 1943 he had been the Gestapo-Spy „Robby“ serving under Herbert Lange. In August 1943 he received assignment to go to Switzerland, to find out, which kind of contact German emigrants had to the Allies.

Processes at the Volksgerichtshof

In the process against Kiep and von Thadden before the Volksgerichtshof Reckzeh was the main witness. The following judgements were made:

• Elisabeth von Thadden was executed on September 8, 1944
• Otto Kiep was hanged on August 26, 1944
• Hilger van Scherpenberg two years of prison
• Irmgard Zarden received acquittal (not enough proves) and was released in July 1944
• more processes and death sentences followed, especially after the 20 July plot

Process in the GDR

After the end of the war Reckzeh was arrested on the 10. Maiy 1945 because of his cooperation with the Gestapo by the SMERSH. First he came to NKVD special camps Nr. 6 in Frankfurt (Oder), then he was brought NKVD special camps in September 1945. In 1946 the justice administration of the Soviet occupation zone against Reckzeh and Lange, however gave the files back to Soviet Military Administration in Germany . Reckzeh hat to wait for a process till 1950, now in the NKVD special camp Mühlberg and then in the NKVD special camp Buchenwald. Then he was given to the GDR minister of the interior and accused being a spy who damaged people because of their opponent political meaning.^[2] On 3rd June 1950 Reckzeh was sentenced at the district court of Chemnitz to 15 years of prison. Later he lived as a doctor in GDR.^[3]

References