Ludwig Geißel (25 August 1916 - 20 November 2000) was a German charity administrator who became vice-president of Diakonisches Werk, a charitable organization of the Protestant / Evangelical churches in Germany). He was a co-founder of the Bread for the world programme. His autobiography is subtitled "Unterhändler der Menschlichkeit" ("Negotiator of humanity"). This is a reference to the leading role he played as a negotiator during Germany's division between 1949 and 1989 into two separate and at times mutually antagonistic states. Based in West Germany, he was part of a movement on the part of the protestant churches in West Germany to maintain contacts and provide support for protestant congregations in East Germany, where the ruling party was ubiquitous and officially hostile to religions other than Communism. It was in connection with the church contacts that he was able to maintain across the Inner German border that Geißel became involved in the controversial and originally secret Trading of East German political prisoners ("Häftlingsfreikauf") programme that operated between 1962 and 1989. Life Early years Ludwig Geißel was born the eldest of his parents' five recorded children at the height of the First World War in Alzey, known then as now as a centre of the local wine growing industry. On successfully completing his schooling he joined the army. His first posting was to Jüterbog, where he served in the secret Military Intelligence Academy ("Heeresnachrichtenschule"). His leadership potential was identified early on. Between 1938 and 1945 he served as a member of the News Team of Hitler's Leadership Headquarters. When the invasion of Poland was launched he was stationed in Zossen-Wünsdorf, where News Regiment 601 was located. By 1945 Geißel had reached the military rank of Captain ("Hauptmann"). War ended in May 1945 and he moved to Hamburg, intending to study at the university. Instead, however, he found himself in charge of a refugee camp. In this capacity he was an employee of the Hamburg Social Services department, subject to the direction of the Hamburg senate. In 1947 he resigned, joining instead the Charitable section of the Evangelical Churches ("Evangelisches Hilfswerk"). Geißel was a founder of the "East-west sponsorship" ("Patenschaftswerk West-Ost") initiative, intended to preserve the cultural traditions of the millions of Germans from the east of the country displaced by the 1945 frontier changes. Career after the war 1949 was the year in which three post war occupation zones were relaunched