Gerd Weber

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Gerd Weber

| image = Bundesarchiv Bild 183-P1017-303, Fußballer Gerd Weber.jpg

| upright = 1.1

| caption = Weber in 1975

| full_name =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1956|5|31|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Dresden, East Germany

| height = 1.80 m

| position = Right midfielder, right-back

| youthyears1 = 1962–1970

| youthclubs1 = FSV Lokomotive Dresden

| youthyears2 = 1970–

| youthclubs2 = Dynamo Dresden

| years1 = 1972–1975

| clubs1 = Dynamo Dresden II

| caps1 =

| goals1 =

| years2 = 1973–1981

| clubs2 = Dynamo Dresden

| caps2 =

| goals2 =

| nationalyears1 = 1975–1980

| nationalteam1 = East Germany

| nationalcaps1 = 33

| nationalgoals1 = 5

| medaltemplates =

{{MedalCountry|{{GDR}}}}

}}

Gerd Weber (born 31 May 1956) is a German former footballer who played as a right midfielder or right-back for Dynamo Dresden.{{Worldfootball.net|gerd-weber}}

Club career

=Senior career=

Born in Dresden, Weber began his career in 1973 with Dynamo Dresden in the DDR-Oberliga.{{Cite web | url = http://rsssf.com/players/gweberdata.html | title = Gerd Weber - Matches and Goals in Oberliga | first = Matthias | last = Arnhold | date = 4 January 2018 | accessdate = 4 January 2018 | publisher = RSSSF}}

International career

Between 1975 and 1980 he played 33 times as a midfielder for the East Germany national team, scoring 5 goals.{{Cite web | url = http://rsssf.com/miscellaneous/weber-intlg.html | title = Gerd Weber - Goals in International Matches | first = Matthias | last = Arnhold | date = 4 January 2018 | accessdate = 4 January 2018 | publisher = RSSSF}} He won the gold medal at the football tournament of the 1976 Summer Olympics with the East Germany Olympic team.

Stasi informer

Weber was a Stasi informer from 1975 onward, delivering more that seventy reports about his teammates.Ingolf Pleil: Mielke, Macht und Meisterschaft: Die „Bearbeitung“ der Sportgemeinschaft Dynamo Dresden durch das MfS 1978 - 1989. Ch.Links Verlag, Berlin 2001, {{ISBN|3-86153-235-2}}, page 67{{cite book |last=McDougall |first=Alan |date=2014 |title=The People's Game: Football, State and Society in East Germany |location=Cambridge |edition=1st |publisher=Cambridge University Press |pages=135–139 |isbn=978-1-107-05203-1 }}{{refn|group=nb|However, Weber was far from alone. Between 1978 and 1989, 18 of 72 Dynamo players were registered as unofficial collaborators (IM) of the Stasi, at least temporarily, icluding Eduard Geyer and Ulf Kirsten.{{cite news |last=Pleil |first=Ingolf |date=31 July 2007 |title=Mielke, Macht und Meisterschaft|url=https://www.abendblatt.de/archiv/2001/article204913921/Mielke-Macht-und-Meisterschaft.html |work=Hamburger Abendblatt |language=de |location=Hamburg |publisher=FUNKE Medien Hamburg GmbH |access-date=17 February 2025 }}}} For four years, Weber was listed as an unofficial collaborator (IM) of the Stasi under the codename "Wiehland".{{cite news |last=Willmann |first=Frank |date=27 March 2025 |title="Stasi FC": Der meistgehasste Club der DDR |url=https://www.zeit.de/sport/2025-03/stasi-fc-dokumentarfilm-bfc-dynamo-erich-mielke-ddr |language=German |newspaper=Die Zeit |location=Hamburg |publisher=Zeit Online GmbH |access-date=31 March 2025 }}

Defection to the West

In January 1981, he along with two teammates (Peter Kotte and Matthias Müller), were arrested by the Stasi, just as they were to travel to Argentina for an international match.{{cite web |last1=Petrossian |first1=Shahan |title=Tales of Defection: The Cold War's Impact on the Game |url=http://theantiquefootball.com/post/136458401733/tales-of-defection-the-cold-wars-impact-on-the |website=theantiquefootball.com |accessdate=2 April 2019}}

Weber had allegedly had contacts to West German side 1. FC Köln, and had solicited escape plans, intending to defect to West Germany. Weber was sentenced to two years and three months in prison by the Dresden District Court ({{langx|de|Bezirksgericht Dresden }}).{{cite news |last=Fritsche |first=Gerald |date=19 January 2021 |title=Weber, Müller, Kotte: Wie drei DDR-Nationalspieler über Nacht zu Staatsfeinden wurden |url=https://www.mz.de/sport/fussball/weber-muller-kotte-wie-drei-ddr-nationalspieler-uber-nacht-zu-staatsfeinden-wurden-1755191 |language=German |newspaper=Mitteldeutsche Zeitung |location=Halle |publisher=Mediengruppe Mitteldeutsche Zeitung GmbH & Co. KG |access-date=17 February 2025 }} After eleven months he was released. However, he was banned from returning to professional football.

During an away match with SG Dynamo Dresden against FC Twente in the 1980-81 UEFA Cup in October 1980, Weber received a slip of paper with a supposed offer from 1. FC Köln. The offer was then renewed in connection with the match against Standard Liège in the next round of the cup. However, the offer did not come from representatives the club, but from impostors. The offer was said to be the solo effort of a busybody.{{cite news |author= |date=24 January 2021 |title=Stasi-Krimi: Plötzlich sind Gerd, Matthias und Peter einfach weg |url=https://www.berliner-kurier.de/fussball/stasi-krimi-ploetzlich-sind-gerd-matthias-und-peter-einfach-weg-li.134742 |language=de |work=Berliner Kurier |location=Berlin |publisher=Berliner Verlag GmbH |access-date=17 February 2025 }}{{refn|group=nb|In reality, the purported representatives of 1. FC Köln were SG Dynamo Dresden supporters, who had themselves left East Germany six months earlier.{{cite book |last=McDougall |first=Alan |date=2014 |title=The People's Game: Football, State and Society in East Germany |location=Cambridge |edition=1st |publisher=Cambridge University Press |pages=135–139 |isbn=978-1-107-05203-1 }}}}

The Stasi got wind of Weber's plan. Weber, Kotte and Müller had been reported by an unofficial collaborator (IM).{{cite news |last=Schwarz |first=Jürgen |date=8 December 2014 |title=Der Ausgestoßene |url=https://www.saechsische.de/plus/der-ausgestossene-2990153.html |language=German |newspaper=Sächsische Zeitung |location=Dresden |publisher=Sächsische Zeitung GmbH |access-date=11 April 2021}}{{cite book |last1=Mike |last2=Grix |first1=Dennis |first2=Jonathan |date=2012 |title=Sport under Communism – Behind the East German 'Miracle' |location=Hampshire |edition=1st |publisher=Palgrave Macmillan (Macmillan Publishers Limited) |pages=148|isbn=978-0-230-22784-2}} The Stasi did not know that the supposed offer did not come from 1. FC Köln. Weber had solicited plans to defect, but the other two had not. Weber had even informed his girlfriend of his decision to accept the supposed offer and leave East Germany, with the intention that she would be smuggled out to the West Germany via another socialist country at the same time.{{cite web |url=https://www.ddr-im-blick.de/jahrgaenge/jahrgang-1981/report/ermittlungen-gegen-fussballspieler-von-dynamo-dresden/ |title=Ermittlungen gegen Fußballspieler von Dynamo Dresden |author= |date=4 February 1981 |website=www.ddr-im-blick.de |location=Berlin |publisher=German Federal Archives |language=de |access-date=17 February 2025 }}{{cite news |last= Meinhardt |first= Gunnar |date=31 May 2021 |title=„Sie sind ein Staatsfeind. Sie bleiben hier“ |url=https://www.welt.de/sport/fussball/plus231448545/Dynamo-Dresden-Gerd-Weber-Sie-sind-ein-Staatsfeind-Sie-bleiben-hier.html |language=German |newspaper=Die Welt |location=Berlin |publisher=WeltN24 GmbH |access-date=17 February 2025 }} Extensive activities in preparation for the escape were what put the Stasi on Weber's trail. With Lutz Eigendorf's defection to West Germany only half a year away, the Stasi took very tough action.

Kotte and Müller received lifetime bans from playing in the top two tiers for alleged complicity.{{cite journal |last=Dennis |first=Mike |year=2007 |title=Behind the Wall: East German football between state and society |url=http://www.gfl-journal.de/2-2007/dennis.pdf |journal=German as a Foreign Language |issue=2 |volume=2007 |pages=46–73 |access-date=9 June 2019 |issn=1470-9570}}{{cite news |last=Riemer |first=Thomas |date=17 December 2018 |title=Anzeige in der Zeitung sorgt für Gerüchte |url=https://www.saechsische.de/anzeige-in-der-zeitung-sorgt-fuer-geruechte-5013210.html |language=German |newspaper=Sächsische Zeitung |location=Dresden |publisher=Sächsische Zeitung GmbH |access-date=11 April 2021}} They knew about the intentions of Weber; their failure to inform authorities was critical.{{cite news |last=Schwarz |first=Jürgen |date=9 June 2019 |title=MATTHIAS "LOTTE" MÜLLER KEHRT NOCH EINMAL ZU DYNAMO ZURÜCK! |url=https://www.tag24.de/sport/fussball/verein/sg-dynamo-dresden/sg-dynamo-dresden-fussball-2-bundesliga-matthias-lotte-mueller-kehrt-noch-einmal-zurueck-1092210 |language=German |newspaper=Tag24 |location=Dresden |publisher=TAG24 NEWS Deutschland GmbH |access-date=17 February 2025 }}{{refn|group=nb|The Stasi could not prove that Kotte and Müller had plans to defect. In an interview with Tag24 in 2019, Müller said that this was probably because Weber had told the Stasi during interrogation that the two did not want to escape. But they were still considered accomplices as they had not fulfilled their reporting obligation.}} Weber was sentenced to two years and three months in prison for planned "planned illegal border crossing", of which he served eleven months in Frankfurt an der Oder. He was excluced from the German Gymnastics and Sports Federation (DTBS), which meant that he would not be allowed to play club sports, not even for small locals clubs. He was not allowed to continue his sports teacher studies either. He was allowed to accomplish an apprentice as a car mechanic, but was denied the opportunity to obtain a master craftsman grade.

Neither Weber, Kotte nor Müller would thus return to play for SG Dynamo Dresden in the DDR-Oberliga.

Supporters of SG Dynamo Dresden saw the bans on Weber, Kotte and Müller as "an order from Erich Mielke" designed to weaken SG Dynamo Dresden. However, such claims are doubtful. The three players had been reported by an unofficial collaborator (IM) and Mielke was convinced that all three were originally prepared to defect. The great fear of footballers, fans and officials who had fled East Germany was omnipresent at the Stasi.{{cite book |year=2016 |editor1-last=Boeger |editor1-first=Peter |editor2-last=Catrain |editor2-first=Elise |title=Stasi in Dresden- Die Geheimpolizei im DDR-Bezirk |url=https://www.bstu.de/assets/bstu/de/Publikationen/SIDR_02_Dresden_barrierefrei.pdf |access-date=11 April 2021 |language=de |location=Berlin |publisher=Stasi Records Agency |page=44 |isbn=978-3-946572-02-2 |quote=Ist der Fall Kotte ein Einzelfall in der DDR oder doch ein Beispiel für eine systematische Einflussnahme des MfS auf den Fußball? Die große Furcht des MfS vor republikflüchtigen Fußballern, Fans und Funktionären war allgegenwärtig. Solche »Sportverräter« durfte es nicht geben. Die Angst der SED vor politischen Schäden und erheblichen negativen Auswirkungen auf den Leistungssport bestimmte das Handeln des MfS. Deshalb waren Spieler und Anhänger der Fußballclubs ständig im Fadenkreuz der Stasi. Der Fall Kotte ist kein Einzelfall.}} Former SED First Secretary in Bezirk Dresden Hans Modrow believes that the measures against the three were "probably cautious overall", given the completely different consequences for other East German citizens in similar contexts. After all, the three were also members of the armed organs ({{langx|de|Bewaffnete Organe der DDR}}) with ranks.{{cite news |last=Pleil |first=Ingolf |date=31 July 2007 |title=Mielke, Macht und Meisterschaft|url=https://www.abendblatt.de/archiv/2001/article204913921/Mielke-Macht-und-Meisterschaft.html |work=Hamburger Abendblatt |language=de |location=Hamburg |publisher=FUNKE Medien Hamburg GmbH |access-date=28 October 2024 |quote=Der damalige SED-Bezirkschef in Dresden, Hans Modrow, ist heute noch der Ansicht, dass "die Maßnahmen angesichts ganz anderer Konsequenzen in ähnlichen Zusammenhängen der Abwerbung von DDR-Bürgern insgesamt wohl zurückhaltend geprägt" gewesen sind. Es habe sich schließlich um Angehörige eines bewaffneten Organs mit Dienstgraden gehandelt, so erklärt Modrow, inzwischen Ehrenvorsitzender der PDS und Mitglied des Europäischen Parlaments. }}{{refn|group=nb|As players of SG Dynamo Dresden, the three were formally employees of the Volkspolizei.}} Weber's escape helpers from Dresden - a technologist, a civil engineer and a waitress - received even harsher punishments.

Weber would make several applications to leave East Germay, but was rejected. In the summer of 1989, he eventually managed to flee East Germany to West Germany with his family, before the fall of the Berlin Wall. In West Germany, he settled in Friesenheim in the Black Forest.

Later life

Weber, Kotte and Müller was rehabilitated by SG Dynamo Dresden after Die Wende in 1989. As of 2021, Weber still lived in Friesenheim, where he works as a claims adjuster for a car insurance company. Weber is today an honorary member of SG Dynamo Dresden and a celebrated former player at the club.{{cite web |url=https://www.dynamo-dresden.de/aktuelles/news/verein/dynamo-gratuliert-ehrenmitglied-gerd-weber |title=DYNAMO GRATULIERT EHRENMITGLIED GERD WEBER |author= |date=31 May 2021 |website=dynamo-dresden.de |location=Dresden |publisher=SG Dynamo Dresden e.V. |language=de |access-date=19 February 2025 }}