many, like Krichbaum, found new positions in the Federal Republic
of Germany.GEHEIME KABINETS-KANZLEI. The most accomplished and
celebrated black chamber in early modern Europe, the Geheime
Kabinets-Kanzlei (Secret Cabinet Office) had its origins in the long
reign of Habsburg emperor Leopold I (1658–1705). Based on the
French cabinet noir and headquartered in the Stallburg in Vienna,
this clandestine mail interception system primarily sought to gather
information regarding political developments in France, Hungary,
and the German principalities. Outside the Austrian lands, monitor-
ing stations were established by the Thurn und Taxis imperial postal
monopoly in cities such as Augsburg, Nuremberg, and Frankfurt am
Main.
The closely guarded but well-remunerated cabinet personnel—
called Logisten—developed special skills that were often handed
down from father to son. Novices learned, for example, how to take
the cast of a seal, how to open letters without revealing they had
been opened, and how to handle texts written in secret ink or codes.
Given the stringent daily schedule and the mental exertion required,
the 10-person cabinet staff rotated on a weekly basis. Considerable
prestige also accompanied these positions, for not only were bonuses
personally conveyed by later Habsburg rulers—notably Charles VI
and Maria Theresa—but some cryptanalysts even advanced to noble
rank. While the territorial coverage was reduced after 1740 when the
Habsburgs lost direct control of the Thurn und Taxis postal system,
the institution managed to endure until the revolutionary upheaval
of 1848.
GEHEIMHALTUNGSGRAD. A system for designating the various
degrees of secrecy, Geheimhaltungsgrad (also Verschlusssachen-
grad) today includes the following categories in ascending order
of classification: Verschlusssache, Vertraulich, Geheim, and Streng
Geheim. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization has an even more
confidential category under the rubric “Cosmic.”
GEHLEN, REINHARD (1902–1979). The chief of intelligence
on the eastern front during World War II and founder of the
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