Spy Theater in Ulm: The gripping story of Helmut Reisch!

Spy Theater in Ulm: The gripping story of Helmut Reisch!

The Ulm Theater is currently presenting the play “Taxi to Over there”, which is based on the exciting German-German contemporary history. In this piece, viewers learn about the extraordinary story of a taxi driver who worked as a spy for both German states. The protagonist on stage goes by the name Helmut, while the real name of the man in the background is Herrmann Reisch, a 74-year-old contemporary witness from the Alb-Donau district. Reisch lived a life that reveals a lot about the political entanglements of the time. According to SWR, he reports that his activity as an agent began in 1979 when he was approached by a certain “Ingo” who needed a city map of Ulm. This first contact led him directly into the complicated world of espionage.

Reisch, who worked as a double agent for the GDR and the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, noted license plates of American transport vehicles that were connected to the Pershing I missiles that were stationed in the former Wiley barracks in Neu-Ulm. He transmitted the information he collected to the GDR and to the Office for the Protection of the Constitution in West Germany. Ultimately, he received payments in D-Marks from the GDR and additional amounts from the Office for the Protection of the Constitution for this data. This all happened at a time when the world between East and West was in the iron grip of the secret services, and Reisch experienced first hand how dangerous this job could be. This multi-faceted story is presented in an exciting way in the play, and it is no wonder that the 13 performances are sold out before the premiere.

A life in the shadow of the secret services

Herrmann Reisch's experiences are not only part of the theater, but are also well received in various lectures. During a general meeting of the ERH Donau - Iller comradeship, Reisch reported on his perfidious experiences working for the Ministry for State Security of the GDR and the Federal Intelligence Service of the Federal Republic of Germany between 1979 and 1984. Reisch gave insights into his methods, in which he not only collected information, but also took photographs and broadcast. “Thinking about my family gave me the strength to survive,” he explained when he described the arbitrariness of the Stasi system in a lecture. At this event, long-standing members of the DBwV who had served for 50 or 60 years were honored and presented with loyalty certificates.

But the dark side of this espionage activity was not absent. In 1983 Reisch was exposed and brought to trial. He had to deal with the brutal conditions of the GDR prison system in the notorious Bautzen prison and in the “Stasi prison” Hohenschönhausen. He describes his 12-year stay in prison as traumatizing, characterized by strict controls and poor conditions. In the end, however, the prisoner exchange in 1987 would give him back the light of freedom. Since then, Reisch has shared his story not only as therapy, but also to educate others about the dark chapters of Germany's past.

The connection between the arts and historical awareness is not only evident in the productions, but also inspires discourse in schools and at events where Reisch is active. With his life story, the 74-year-old gives everyone who listens to him a deep insight into the Cold War era and the interconnections of the secret services. A visit to the Ulm Theater is therefore not only a cultural event, but also a call to remember and reflect on one's own historical roots.