The secret past of a child: the son of the GDR agent Ruth Werner

The secret past of a child: the son of the GDR agent Ruth Werner

The 82-year-old Peter Beaverton lives in the picturesque Feldberg lake landscape, whose life story is closely linked to a remarkable figure in German history: his mother, Ruth Werner. Werner, born as Ursula Maria Kuczynski, was a communist agent who worked for the Soviet military intelligence service during National Socialism. Also known as the "Sonja" name name, she published the autobiographical novel "Sonjas Rapport" in 1977, in which she opened openly about her exciting and dangerous life as a spy. SVZ reports that…

Ruth Werner saw the light of the world in Friedenau, Berlin and grew up as one of six children in a Jewish family. She joined the Communist Party of Germany (KPD) at a young age and was actively involved in communist resistance. In the 1930s she lived in different countries, including China and Switzerland, where she worked as a spy for the GRU. She was not only a talented agent, but also a writer who held her experience in several books. Wikipedia informs about Ruth Werner…

The eventful childhood of Peter Beaver

Peter BEURTON was born in Oxford in 1943 and was the child of Ruth Werner and the convinced Communist Len Beaver, who fought against Franco in Spain. The family initially only spoke English, which is why Peter only learned German in 1950 when they moved to East Berlin. There he had to go to a children's home with his half -sister. Despite these difficult circumstances, his mother regularly visited the children. Initially, Peter had a rather negative impression of the Germans, but his living conditions changed enormously over time. SVZ describes Peter Beaver childhood…

In 1953 the family began to regularly visit the picturesque area around Carwitz, which should help Peter get to know another side of Germany. After school, Peter studied biology and acquired a doctorate. He then worked at the Central Institute for Philosophy at the Academy of Sciences in Berlin and is still active in scientific work.

legacy and memory

The story of Ruth Werner is not only the story of a spy, but also that of her time and her political beliefs. Her life stretched across all ups and downs of the 20th century, and she left an important literary work that contributes to understanding this turbulent era. In addition to her literary work, she was also committed to the culture of remembrance: since the 1970s, she has regularly spent summer in Carwitz, where an association was founded in 2010 to protect her legacy. Unfortunately, this association was dissolved in 2023.

Ruth Werner died in Berlin on July 7, 2000 and found her last peace in the tree nurseries. Her son Peter Beaver, who deeply anchored his roots and family history, remains an important voice in memory of what his mother and he lived through. It becomes clear that the life of Ruth Werner and Peter Beaverton not only left traces in history, but also shape the personal stories of countless people who lived during this time.

For more exciting information about the world of espionage in Berlin, visit this link.