diaries underwent their first forensic analysis. But only relatively
small samples had been sent by the magazine to experts for a hand-
writing examination. When the findings (including one from the
Federal Archives in Coblenz) proved positive, the magazine sought
to increase its profits by selling the rights of syndication to various
foreign publications. A hasty inspection and validation by Hugh
Trevor-Roper, the former Regius Professor of History at Oxford and
a wartime member of British intelligence, helped convince publisher
Rupert Murdock to make arrangements for installments of the diary
to appear in the London Sunday Times. Newsweek likewise displayed
interest.
On 25 April 1983, Stern made its first public announcement re-
garding the diaries’ existence, sparking a heated debate throughout
the world. A new series of tests was therefore performed by the
Federal Archives, this time examining the chemical composition
of the ink, paper, glue, and bindings. Less than two weeks later,
authorities announced that the documents had been produced with
materials of postwar vintage. More extensive handwriting analysis
and a closer analysis of the contents provided added confirmation
of their inauthenticity. Shortly afterward, learning that Stern had
paid a total of 9 million DM and realizing that only a quarter of that
amount had reached him, Kujau became irate and eventually made
a confession to West German police. Heidemann maintained that
he had simply been duped by Kujau. At the conclusion of a lengthy
trial, Kujau and Heidemann were sentenced to about four and a half
years imprisonment; Kujau’s wife received eight months probation.
The judge further stated that the publishing company had acted “with
such naiveté and negligence that it was virtually an accomplice in
the fraud.” Following his release, Kujau used his new celebrity to
start a lucrative business selling acknowledged forgeries. He died in
September 2000.
Another dimension to Heidemann’s earlier life came to public
attention in the summer of 2002. According to the records of the
Ministerium für Staatssicherheit (MfS), he had been recruited as
an agent in August 1953 and given the code name gerhard. His
subsequent assignments came to include photographing the school
for military police in Oberammergau, restricted USAREUR instal-
lations near Kaiserslautern, and the naval border police outside194 • HITLER DIARIES FORGERY