27 agents are exchanged on the Glienicke Bridge
The Cold War was fought in Europe as an intelligence war, and many of the spies deployed by communist and capitalist powers were exposed and arrested. Both sides wanted to get their people back, or else they would have difficulty finding more to do the dangerous work. Needing a location at which to conduct spy trades, East and West finally settled on Glienicke Bridge. It was ideal: providing a crossing between East and West, it was easy to reach for both sides; the surroundings were clearly visible; and the environment was easy to control.
A total of 40 agents were traded in three exchanges conducted over Glienicke Bridge in 1962, 1985 and 1986. This explains the nickname of the bridge as the “Bridge of Spies”. The largest exchange took place on 11 June 1985 under the mediation of East German negotiator Wolfgang Vogel. 23 Western spies imprisoned in the DDR and Poland were swapped for four individuals arrested by the CIA, with the two groups passing each other in the middle of the bridge.
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