Bundesamt für Verfassungsschutz

The Bundesamt für Verfassungsschutz (BfV)(Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution) is Germany's domestic security agency.

History

In July 2012, BfV head Heinz Fromm resigned over the destruction of documents related to BFV's investigation of a far-right group, the National Socialist Underground.

In February 2014, Der Spiegel reported that the BfV planned to increase counterintelligence work against the US and Britain in response to revelations of spying on Germany by its western allies.

People

Presidents of the BfV

• Dr Otto John 01.12.1950 - 20.07.1954
• Dr Hanns Jess 26.07.1954 - 31.07.1955 (provisional incumbency)
• Hubert Schrübbers 01.08.1955 - 30.04.1972
• Dr Günther Nollau 01.05.1972 - 31.08.1975
• Dr Richard Meier 01.09.1975 - 26.04.1983
• Heribert Hellenbroich 13.05.1983 - 31.07.1985
• Dr Holger Pfahls 01.08.1985 - 01.04.1987
• Gerhard Boeden 09.04.1987 - 28.02.1991
• Dr Eckart Werthebach 28.02.1991 - 27.07.1995
• Dr Hansjörg Geiger 01.08.1995 - 15.05.1996
• Dr Peter Frisch 15.05.1996 - 10.04.2000
• Heinz Fromm 01.06.2000 - 31.07.2012
• Dr Hans-Georg Maaßen 01.08.2012-

Vice Presidents of the BfV

• Albert Radtke 20.09.1950 - 31.07.1964
• Dr Ernst Brückner 01.08.1964 - 30.11.1966
• Dr Günther Nollau 01.12.1966 - 31.08.1970
• Werner Smoydzin 01.09.1970 - 30.04.1972
• Johannes Bardenhewer 01.05.1972 - 11.05.1981
• Heribert Hellenbroich 25.06.1981 - 13.05.1983
• Dr Stefan Eckardt Pelny 16.05.1983 - 01.04.1987
• Dr Peter Frisch 09.04.1987 - 15.05.1996
• Klaus-Dieter Fritsche 07.10.1996 - 30.11.2005
• Elmar Remberg 01.02.2006 - 28.02.2010
• Dr Alexander Eisvogel 03.05.2010 - 31.07.2013
• Thomas Haldenwang since 01.08.2013

External Resources

• Helen Pidd, Germany shocked by secret service link to rightwing terror cell, guardian.co.uk, 15 November 2011.
• Helen Pidd, Neo-Nazi terror scandal grows in Germany, guardian.co.uk, 22 November 2011.
• German spies accused of racism, Islamophobia, The Local, 22 March 2013.