Crime History: Doppelmord am Bülowplatz - "Ich liebe doch alle Menschen"
Summary
This episode investigates the 1931 Bülowplatz murders, where three Berlin police officers were killed by Communist paramilitaries during a volatile referendum. The narrative follows the investigation through the Nazi era, highlighting how SA torture extracted confessions that implicated future Stasi chief Erich Mielke and Walter Ulbricht. After fleeing to the USSR, Mielke returned post-war to build the Stasi, only to face trial for the murders in 1992, exposing a criminal history spanning four political systems.
Topics discussed
Intro: The shooting at Kino Babylon in 1931
Historical context: The 1931 Prussian referendum
The Bülowplatz: History and political significance
Reenactment: The attack on the police officers
Initial investigation and witness silence
Nazi takeover and the 'Red Murder' propaganda
SA torture and coerced confessions
Identifying Mielke and Ulbricht as suspects
The 1934 trial and sentences
Mielke's escape to the USSR and rise in the GDR
Post-reunification: Discovery of the arrest warrant
The 1992 trial: Evidence and Mielke's behavior
Verdict, imprisonment, and Mielke's death
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