 They refer to Gerstner having been "recruited by Soviet friends to educate former Nazi members and gather information" back in 1946.KGB handlers had shown particular interest in Trotzkyists among his contacts in the French Resistance, and in former Foreign Ministry employees.After a time, however, the KGB seem to have downgraded Gerstner's usefulness as they decided that his relevant knowledge was becoming out of date, and they passed his details across to their East German counterparts.