European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 11, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Wednesday april 1, 1990 the stars and stripes a a a Page 3 e. German lawyer tells of deals to buy prisoners Freedom a file Wolfgang Vogel Bonn up a the Bonn authorities bought Freedom for More than 33,000 East German prisoners before the ouster of the hard line communist leadership last fall the East Berlin lawyer who negotiated the deals said in an interview published this week. The lawyer Wolfgang Vogel said the West German government paid exactly 95,847 Marks $55,792 in credit notes for each prisoner released and transported to West Germany. Vogel said in an interview with the West German Spiegel newsmagazine that the East German authorities exchanged the notes for Western goods including Mineral Oil Industrial diamonds and consumer goods. A the first credit note in 1964, was used to get oranges Quot he said. A from 1964 to november 1989, More than 33,000 political prisoners came to the Fri West Germany after being bought free a said Vogel who confirmed that he was among the officials responsible for negotiating the deals. He said others included Church and government officials from both East and West Germany. Vogel was a Long time confidant of Erich Honecker the former hard line communist Leader who was forced to resign oct. 18 after running the country with an Iron fist for 18 years. A i had no alternative 1 would have made a pact with the Devil a As Long As i did not become one. My aim was always to help those in trouble a Vogel told Spiegel. For almost 30 years the communist authorities had entrusted the 64-year-old lawyer with the delicate task of dealing with humanitarian questions. Vogel gained International prominence after negotiating a series of major East West spy swaps. He also acted As a middleman Between refugees and the East Berlin authorities in a transaction that enabled tens of thousands of East germans to Migrate to West Germany last year. The lawyer was briefly detained last december on suspicion of a criminal blackmail a but he was released a few Days later with official  widened for mass Graves in e. Germany Berlin up a East germans extended the search for mass Graves to the site of a former soviet internment Camp near the czechoslovak polish Border monday As one of the darkest chapters of the country a stalinist history continued to unfold. In the past weeks Graves containing the bodies of tens of thousands of victims of stalinism have been discovered at former soviet prison Camps. The Camps operated in East Germany from 1945 to 1950. Army volunteers began excavations near the Border along the outer Wall of the Bautzen Camp and in surrounding Hills monday. The East German news Agency adn quoting survivors said that As Many As 16,000 prisoners died at Bautzen. The Camp was run by the feared soviet secret police As one of 11 main internment Camps in East Germany after world War ii. The Camps housed former nazis members of the Hitler youth group social democrats and in some cases people who had simply been picked up by police or denounced by their neighbors on the flimsiest of evidence. After the Camps were closed in 1950, their existence was shrouded in silence. The hard line communist government that ruled the country until last fall reportedly threatened former inmates with harsh reprisals if they disclosed the conditions under which they were kept. Today Many Are still afraid to talk of their experiences. Villagers living near the recently discovered Graves said that Between 1945 and 1947 trucks would drive into nearby forests once or twice a week. Gunshots could be heard and the next morning fresh Mounds of Earth would be seen among the Trees they said. Several of the mass grave Sites Are now known As so Quot Rippli Kurt Muller a resident of Sachsenhause East Germany watches soldiers dig remains from a mass grave. A forests of the  Kurt Muller a villager in sch Achtenhagen recently tipped off the authorities about such a site at the five Oaks Forest North of Berlin. �?o1 reported it in order to get the historical record straight not to sow hatred against the soviets a he said. A the system was at fault not the  the association for the victims of stalinism based in Cologne West Germany believes that 90,000 of the estimated 200,000 germans held in soviet detention Camps in East Germany after the War were either killed or died from their treatment. Other sources put the figure at 56,000 dead. The East German daily Neue Cit said that although the soviet Camps were often situated at former nazi death Camps they did not employ Gas Chambers As the nazis did. Witnesses have described the soviet Sites As a combination of death labor and internment Camps. Although some of the prisoners were executed most appear to have died from unsanitary conditions and Lack of nourishment. Wolfgang Titz a researcher said hunger and tuberculosis not mass executions were the biggest killers at the soviet  Germany without nato forces held possible Berlin apr a United Germany could remain a member of nato but be free of troops from the Western military Alliance a member of a Senate delegation said monday. The delegation of democrats led by majority Leader George j. I Itchell of Maine met with members p Germany a first freely elected parliament during a two Day Stop in West and East Berlin. Members of the group said they were Wenng information on the economic and political developments in East Germany As a prelude to discussions with soviet leaders on disarmament German unification and other . Paul Sarbanes moving on the arms agreement is important. You can to let the events outstrip  at a news conference sen. Paul Sarbanes of Maryland said superpower talks on reductions of conventional forces must keep Pace with the rapid shift to democracy by East bloc nations. A moving on the arms agreement is important. You can to let the events outstrip agreements a he said. West Germany has the largest number of . Troops in Europe and East Germany holds the largest number of soviet troops. Wants at least what is now West Germany to remain in nato. The superpowers France and Britain Are to discuss the strategic terms of unification later this year. A a it a quite possible quite sensible to envision a United Germany in nato but without nato forces present. A Sarbanes said. But delegation members said some . Troops should remain in Europe and that even the soviets have indicated the troops would be a stabilizing Factor. Other members of the delegation Are John Glenn of Ohio Jim Sasser of ten the soviets want a United Germany Nessee Wyche Fowler of Georgia and. Sci to be Neutral while president Bush Tom Daschle of South Dakota. ,