Ralph - A prisoner in an East German jail (182)

This is the third and final part of Ralph Hänel’s story of his life in East Germany. In this episode, we hear his time in the Stasi prison in Cottbus which with its dark red brick façade was often referred to as the ‘Red Misery’. It’s a chilling insight into Stasi prison conditions and the brutality that the political prisoners endured from the other inmates and the guards. We also hear about Ralph’s eventual release and of some strange experiences he has in reunited Germany Again I am honoured and humbled that Ralph shared this story with us.  I could really use your support to help me to continue the produce the podcast. A small monthly donation entitles you to the sought after CWC coaster as a thank you and you bask in the warm glow of knowing you are helping to preserve Cold War history.  Just go to https://coldwarconversations.com/donate/ If a financial contribution is not your cup of tea, you can still help us by leaving written reviews wherever you listen to us and sharing us on social media. It really helps us get new guests on the show. I am delighted to welcome Ralph back to our Cold War conversation… Further information on this episode can also be found here. https://coldwarconversations.com/episode182/ Other episodes with Ralph are here https://coldwarconversations.com/episode177/ and here https://coldwarconversations.com/episode181/ You can buy Ralph's book here  If you can’t wait for next week’s episode do visit our Facebook discussion group where guests and listeners continue the Cold War Conversation. Just search Cold War Conversations in Facebook or click here https://www.facebook.com/groups/coldwarpod/ Thank you very much for listening. It is really appreciated – goodbye. Radio GDR If you are interested in East Germany we can highly recommend our friends over at Radio GDR. Support the project! https://coldwarconversations.com/donate/ Follow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/ColdWarPod Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/coldwarpod/ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/coldwarconversations/ Youtube https://youtube.com/@ColdWarConversations 0:00 Introduction and podcast award announcement 1:07 Life in the Stasi Prison: Conditions and Dangers 3:08 Transfer to Caughtpus Starzy prison and initial experiences 13:15 Treatment by guards and fear of a massacre 18:38 Experience of the open border and release from prison 27:25 First impressions of the West and arrival in West Berlin 34:13 Relocation to West Germany and reunion with former workmates 38:06 Moving to Switzerland, opening Kung Fu schools, and mysterious bank account 46:21 Mysterious illness and suspicion towards a woman from work 54:01 Decision to leave Germany and move to Canada 59:23 Ralph's theory about the doppelganger and the secret service 1:01:19 Acknowledgement of the podcast patrons Chapters powered by PodcastAI✨ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices