Espionage: Feet Across The Border

It was more than business as usual last week at the German border crossing point of Herleshausen when the gold-colored Mercedes-Benz and the red Audi parked within walking distance of the checkpoint. The mission: the exchange of convicted spies by East and West Germany. The swap was thought to be an attempt to create goodwill before East German Leader Erich Honecker visits Bonn next month.

The West Germans won the return of Christa-Karin Schumann, 52, an East German physician sentenced in 1979 to 15 years. In return, the East Germans got Manfred Rotsch, 63, formerly a chief engineer at West Germany’s largest aerospace company. Rotsch was convicted last year of slipping Moscow weapons secrets, including plans of the Tornado aircraft. East Germany also released a West German counterintelligence officer serving a life sentence for espionage, and Bonn handed over two Communist agents described as “small fish.”