the termination of his exceedingly intricate and often suspect strategic
service division—sometimes dubbed the “Langkau apparatus”—and
he resigned in protest.LAUKHARD, FRIEDRICH CHRISTIAN (1757–1822). A German
writer, soldier, and spy who deserted to the French, Friedrich Chris-
tian Laukhard was born in Wendelsheim (Rhineland-Palatinate) on 7
June 1757, the son of a Protestant pastor. His theological studies at
the University of Giessen left him disappointed, and he succumbed to
an undisciplined and dissolute lifestyle. Eventually earning a doctor-
ate from the University of Halle but deeply in debt, Laukhard entered
the Prussian army in 1783 and fought in the battle of Valmy in 1792.
In late September 1793, posing as a deserter, he delivered a bribe to
the French revolutionary commander of Landau, his distant cousin
Georg Friedrich Dentzel. Dentzel’s irate reaction caused Laukhard to
join other deserters and prisoners of war who were being transferred
to southeastern France. There he served in a sans-culottes unit until
his return to Germany in 1795. Prior to his death on 28 April 1822 in
Kreuznach (Rhineland-Palatinate), the notorious writer set down his
academic and military observations in a richly detailed, multivolume
autobiography.
LAURENZ, KARL. See BARCZATIS, HELENE.
LAUSCHANGRIFF. See TRAUBE AFFAIR.
LEHMANN, EBERHARD (1930– ). An officer of the Ministerium
für Staatssicherheit (MfS) who cooperated with Western authorities
after German reunification, Eberhard Lehmann had been an active
member of the Freie Deutsche Jugend (Free German Youth) and
joined the East German police force at the age of 18. In 1950, he
was transferred to the newly created MfS and served in the military
counterintelligence division for 10 years. Because of the debacle in
the Verwaltung Aufklärung (VA) involving the defection of Sieg-
fried Dombrowski and the need for greater security precautions,
Lehmann was assigned as one of the Offiziere im besonderen Ein-
satz (officers in special deployment) to the remodeled organization,
where he remained until 1975. Returning to the regular ranks of the
260 • LAUKHARD, FRIEDRICH CHRISTIAN