WORGITZKY, HANS-HEINRICH (1907–1969). The first vice
president of the Bundesnachrichtendienst (BND), Hans-Heinrich
Worgitzky served as an intelligence officer with Army Group
Center on the Eastern front during World War II. He joined the
Organisation Gehlen in December 1946 and received important
posts in Bremen and Hamburg. With the official establishment
of the BND came his appointment as vice president on 24 May
- Known for his organizational skills and collegial attitude,
Worgitzky (code name wagner) sought to reform the intelligence
process by relying less on informers in the Soviet bloc and increas-
ing the role of technology and open sources. He also helped shift
the BND’s exclusively anticommunist focus to greater worldwide
coverage. His influence began to wane owing to the mistrust of his
superior Reinhard Gehlen, and he was restricted to fringe areas
prior to his retirement in March 1967. After a long illness, Wor-
gitzky died on 13 December 1969.
WOTAN. See WEHNER, HERBERT.
WÜNNENBERG, KARL. A marine engineer and German naval
reserve lieutenant involved in American espionage during World
War I, Karl Wünnenberg established his residence in New York
City around 1900. After undergoing training at the “N” spy school
in Antwerp in 1915, Wünnenberg (code name A13) returned to the
United States and—together with Albert Sander—began to recruit
American journalists for intelligence missions to Great Britain.
Besides monitoring merchant ships and locating antiaircraft gun
bases, these agents were to compose newspaper articles with an
anti-British bias. Two of them—George Vaux Bacon and Roslyn
Whytock—made full confessions to MI5, prompting the arrest of
Wünnenberg and Sander by U.S. authorities in early 1917. After
pleading guilty, each received a two-year prison sentence and a
fine of $2,500.
– Y –
YILDIRIM, HUSEYIN. See HALL, JAMES W., III.
YILDIRIM, HUSEYIN • 509