Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1946-2012 (Creation)
Level of description
Extent and medium
21 files
Context area
Name of creator
Biographical history
The Association was formed to promote social contact between former members of the British Commanders'-in-Chief Mission (BRIXMIS) to the Soviet Forces in Germany, 1946-1990. Under the terms of an agreement signed by Lt Gen Sir Brian Robertson, Deputy Military Governor, Control Commission Germany, and Gen M S Malinin, Deputy Chief of Staff, Soviet Group of Forces of Occupation in Germany, the British and Soviet forces each had liaison missions in each other's zones, officially to foster good working relations, and unofficially to gather military intelligence. Similar agreements for the French and American forces were signed in 1947. BRIXMIS included Army and RAF personnel. All missions closed when the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) was reunited with the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany), 1990.
Archival history
GB 0099 KCLMA Brixmis Association 1946-2012 Collection (fonds) 21 files Brixmis Association
The Association was formed to promote social contact between former members of the British Commanders'-in-Chief Mission (BRIXMIS) to the Soviet Forces in Germany, 1946-1990. Under the terms of an agreement signed by Lt Gen Sir Brian Robertson, Deputy Military Governor, Control Commission Germany, and Gen M S Malinin, Deputy Chief of Staff, Soviet Group of Forces of Occupation in Germany, the British and Soviet forces each had liaison missions in each other's zones, officially to foster good working relations, and unofficially to gather military intelligence. Similar agreements for the French and American forces were signed in 1947. BRIXMIS included Army and RAF personnel. All missions closed when the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) was reunited with the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany), 1990.
The collection was placed in the Centre by the Brixmis Association, 2012.
The collection includes personal accounts written or recorded by Brixmis members beginning as far back as 1946, when Brixmis came into being at the end of World War Two following the division of Germany into 4 Military Zones of Occupation, till its dissolution in 1990 at the end of the Cold War; this archive also includes photographs, video, film and audio tape material relating to Brixmis. Following the Brixmis personal narratives are a number of reports and correspondence initiated by the Stasi (East German secret police) and the Soviets on the subject of minimising the intelligence gathering activities of the Allied Missions ( FMLM-French, USMLM-American, BRIXMIS-British ) operating in East Germany but officially attached to the occupying Soviet Forces. There is also a series of Stasi reports covering the detailed monitoring of Brixmis and other Allied Mission operational activities in East Germany. Other third party material ( mainly obtained from web sources and therefore cannot be verified in absolute detail but that forms an important backdrop to the narratives of the Service personnel who served with Brixmis ) has been provided to help the reader or researchers to better understand the environment and circumstances that Brixmis and the other Allied Missions operated in the Soviet Occupied Communist State of East Germany and includes material from the American and French Missions who had the same role as Brixmis. Major political events of worldwide significance e.g. the erection of the Berlin Wall, are covered and an excellent French documentary film (by Artline Films and broadcast on French TV and on the Military History channel in 2010) on the role of the Allied Missions is also included by kind permission of the French production company.
Arranged into a number of series: personal narratives; Stasi and Soviet reports; reports and information on Soviet and East German equipment; and miscellaneous including film footage.
The collection is chiefly open, subject to signature of a Reader Undertaking form and appropriate provision of two forms of identification.
Copies, subject to the condition of the original, may be supplied for research use only. The audio recordings may not be copied. Requests to publish original material should be submitted to the Trustees of the Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives, attention of the Director of Archives and Information Management.
English, Russian, German
File level list available for consultation in the Archives.
The Intelligence Corps Archives at Chicksands has archive material relating to Brixmis including some personal narratives. The National Archives at Kew holds official Brixmis reports.
Entry compiled by Kate O'Brien and Geoff Browell.
Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997; and UWA Department of Information Studies based on ISAD(G) second edition, 2000.
August 2012 Cold War Military intelligence Brixmis Association British Army German DR Wars (events) Warfare Eastern Europe Military engineering Military science Social sciences
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
The collection was placed in the Centre by the Brixmis Association, 2012.
Content and structure area
Scope and content
The collection includes personal accounts written or recorded by Brixmis members beginning as far back as 1946, when Brixmis came into being at the end of World War Two following the division of Germany into 4 Military Zones of Occupation, till its dissolution in 1990 at the end of the Cold War; this archive also includes photographs, video, film and audio tape material relating to Brixmis. Following the Brixmis personal narratives are a number of reports and correspondence initiated by the Stasi (East German secret police) and the Soviets on the subject of minimising the intelligence gathering activities of the Allied Missions ( FMLM-French, USMLM-American, BRIXMIS-British ) operating in East Germany but officially attached to the occupying Soviet Forces. There is also a series of Stasi reports covering the detailed monitoring of Brixmis and other Allied Mission operational activities in East Germany. Other third party material ( mainly obtained from web sources and therefore cannot be verified in absolute detail but that forms an important backdrop to the narratives of the Service personnel who served with Brixmis ) has been provided to help the reader or researchers to better understand the environment and circumstances that Brixmis and the other Allied Missions operated in the Soviet Occupied Communist State of East Germany and includes material from the American and French Missions who had the same role as Brixmis. Major political events of worldwide significance e.g. the erection of the Berlin Wall, are covered and an excellent French documentary film (by Artline Films and broadcast on French TV and on the Military History channel in 2010) on the role of the Allied Missions is also included by kind permission of the French production company.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Accruals
System of arrangement
Arranged into a number of series: personal narratives; Stasi and Soviet reports; reports and information on Soviet and East German equipment; and miscellaneous including film footage.
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
The collection is chiefly open, subject to signature of a Reader Undertaking form and appropriate provision of two forms of identification.
Conditions governing reproduction
Copies, subject to the condition of the original, may be supplied for research use only. The audio recordings may not be copied. Requests to publish original material should be submitted to the Trustees of the Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives, attention of the Director of Archives and Information Management.
Language of material
- English
Script of material
- Latin
Language and script notes
English, Russian, German
Physical characteristics and technical requirements
Finding aids
File level list available for consultation in the Archives.
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Related units of description
The Intelligence Corps Archives at Chicksands has archive material relating to Brixmis including some personal narratives. The National Archives at Kew holds official Brixmis reports.
Notes area
Alternative identifier(s)
Access points
Subject access points
Place access points
Name access points
Genre access points
Description control area
Description identifier
Institution identifier
Rules and/or conventions used
Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997; and UWA Department of Information Studies based on ISAD(G) second edition, 2000.
Status
Level of detail
Dates of creation revision deletion
Language(s)
- English