GB 0099 KCLMA Brixmis Association - Brixmis Association

Identity area

Reference code

GB 0099 KCLMA Brixmis Association

Title

Brixmis Association

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.

Related descriptions

Notes area

Alternative identifier(s)

Access points

Place access points

Name access points

Genre access points

Description control area

Description identifier

Institution identifier

Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives, King's College London

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

Script(s)

    Sources

    Accession area