Spiegel scandal

Following the publication of an article ("Bedingt abwehrbereit") on 8th october 1962 about fatal deficits of the German army in case of a military attack, the German magazine Spiegel was accused of treason. In course of the accusation the rooms of the magazine and the private houses of some journalists were searched, thousands of documents confiscated, several journalists and the editor Rudolf Augstein were arrested. The author of the article, Conrad Ahlers, was on holiday in Spain. The German minister of defense, Franz Joseph Strauß[?], the main initiator of the persecution, requested personally his arrest, explicitly lying to the German diplomats in Spain. While the Bundeskanzler Konrad Adenauer was informed of Strauß' actions, the minister of justice, belonging to the smaller coalition party FDP, was deliberately left out in all decisions.

On 19th november, as a consequence of Strauß' admission of his involvement into Ahler's arrest, all five ministers of the FDP, the liberal party resigned from their offices, questioning the continuation of Adenauer's administration.

On 26th november the police ended its occupation of the offices of the Spiegel, while the editor, Ahlers and three others remained under arrest, Augstein until the 7th February 1963. In December 1962 Bundeskanzler Adenauer formed a new cabinet without Strauß.

On 13th May 1965 the Bundesgerichtshof refused to open a trial against Augstein and Ahlers. The court ruled that during the affair Strauß had violated the boundaries of his office and was guilty of Freiheitsberaubung, however because of his belief of acting lawfully (Verbotsirrtum) he should be exempt from punishment.

The Spiegel affair had major impact on Strauß' political career and is seen by many as the main cause which prevented him from becoming Bundeskanzler later.

The affair substantially altered the political culture of post-war Germany and - with all the public protests and demonstrations - is often seen as the turning point from the old Obrigkeitsstaat to a modern democracy.