defense minister submitted his resignation. Although Adenauer saved
his coalition government and announced the formation of a new
cabinet shortly thereafter, he retired at the age of 88 the following
year. Der Spiegel emerged from this affair with enhanced power and
prestige and a hugely expanded readership. Within the BND, Wicht
was rehabilitated and later received a promotion, but the bond that
had existed between Gehlen and Adenauer was never restored.SPIELMATERIAL. False or misleading information, Spielmaterial
(play material) is often provided to a double agent to confound the
operative’s original service.
SPORTVEREINIGUNG DYNAMO. A professional sports league for
the personnel of the Ministerium für Staatssicherheit (MfS), the
Sportvereinigung Dynamo (Dynamo Sports Association) was founded
on 27 March 1953 and named expressly after the long-standing Soviet
state security sports organization. The chair of the Sportvereinigung
Dynamo, MfS chief Erich Mielke, allocated considerable funds to
develop its extensive facilities for a variety of sports. A passionate
soccer fan himself, he took a particular pride in the establishment of
a world-class team in the capital city—BFC (Berlin Football Club)
Dynamo—which operated under the auspices of the sports associa-
tion. Its long winning streak of 10 consecutive national championships
began in 1979 and was often attributed to the special considerations
accorded the team both on and off the field. In addition to the main
stadium and training facilities located in Berlin-Hohenschönhausen,
branches existed in each district of the German Democratic Republic
(GDR) to spot and develop younger talent for BFC Dynamo. Contrary
to Mielke’s desire, the team never achieved popularity among the
general public and was frequently an object of derision.
A prime objective of the MfS was to stem the exodus of star sports
players to West Germany (Republikflucht) that had taken place dur-
ing the 1950s. As a result, a large network of informers had been
recruited among the trainers, masseurs, journalists, functionaries, and
key athletes throughout the GDR. The MfS further supervised the
illegal doping program that had begun in the Sportvereinigung Dy-
namo in 1964 and had spread to other athletic groups with Mielke’s
authorization.
SPORTVEREINIGUNG DYNAMO • 431