Werner Volkmann

Werner Volkmann is the lifelong friend of Bernard Samson although their friendship does not preclude Werner acting in his own interests, or not admitting when he is working behind Bernard's back.

Werner's mother, Lily, is described as being pregnant in 1943. Werner himself is never named or seen.

Associations
[please refer to the association charts page for explanation of solid, versus dotted line links]

Werner Volkmann is one of just three characters to appear in every one of the graphics published to complement the Samson series of books. Invariably he is described there as being Bernard Samson’s best friend, as well as once having been a ‘Berlin Field Agent’. Werner mentions he and Bernard ‘started working for intelligence’ at some point in the lead-up to the Wall being erected [i.e. August 1961 - Berlin Game, Chap 1]

In the chart for Winter Werner is shown via a solid line to be the offspring of Lily and Isaac Volkmann (‘Jewish dentist hidden from Nazis by Lisl Hennig’).

In the table for Berlin Game both Werner and Bernard have a dotted line link to Lisl Hennig.

Werner’s entry in the graphic for Mexico Set includes a link by dotted line to Frank Harrington, Head of Berlin Field Unit. Also that Werner is ‘used to liaise with Stinnes’, although his link to Erich Stinnes is via dotted line through Paul Biedermann (‘Small-time KGB Agent’).

In addition to Werner’s usual dotted line link directly to Bernard Samson, interestingly, in the chart for London Match the two are also linked through Gloria Kent (‘SIS clerical assistant’ and Bernard’s lover). It is a situation which continues up to and including Spy Sinker, and appears to be a unique representation across the eight separate book graphics. By the time of Faith Werner ceases to be linked with Gloria, however the dual linking situation described above is now replicated with Bret Rensselaer (but with Gloria no longer shown as in a ‘liaison with’ Bernard).

By Spy Hook Werner’s description includes ‘Recently re-enlisted for special job’. His own link to Gloria Kent is no longer direct - i.e. it occurs through his wife Zena Volkmann - although this is reversed for the following two books, Spy Line and Spy Sinker, after Zena drops from the charts entirely (their marriage was previously shown for every book since the beginning of the series). By the time of Spy Hook Werner is instead marked as being in a ‘liaison with’ Ingrid Winter (‘Illegitimate daughter of Inge Winter’) and for Spy Line Ingrid is now described as ‘Running hotel with Werner’ i.e her aunt Lisl Hennig’s establishment off Berlin’s Ku’damm.

In the final graphic, for Faith, Werner is linked simply to Bernard and to Lisl Hennig. His description includes that he is ‘Employed by London to liaise with “Verdi”’.

Commentary
Werner is introduced to us as ‘forty years old, thickset, with black bushy hair, black moustache, and sleepy eyes that made it possible to mistake him for one of Berlin’s Turkish population.’ [Berlin Game, Chap 1]

At the beginning of the trilogies, Werner lives in a smart apartment in Dahlem right on the edge of the Grunewald forest [i.e. American-controlled sector]. The reader is also told his employment status with London Central is under a cloud; Bernard Samson reflects that his close friend ‘was on the computer as ‘non-critical employment only’, except ‘In this job everything was ‘critical’. What’s more, the Volkmanns' marriage appears to be in difficulty: ‘The night before, Werner…had confided to me the story of his wife, Zena, running off with a man who drove a truck for the Coca-Cola company.’ [Berlin Game, Chap 1]

As the series evolves, we come to learn that Werner is highly motivated to stay across developments concerning London Central. However from chapter 1 of Berlin Game, you would be forgiven for thinking he is unaware of Silas Gaunt’s continuing influence there. Also that Werner and best friend Bernard Samson haven’t had much contact in recent times - Bernard is yet to meet Zena Volkmann, Werner’s spouse [‘Is she a Berliner?’] while Werner appears only loosely up-to-date about Bernard’s wife [‘''I forgot that old Silas Gaunt was related to Fiona. I hear she is very important in the Department nowadays''’]

There are occasional references to how Werner may have been used by various intelligence services over the years. Very early on, the reader hears how he once did ‘a rush job for the Americans’ in Munich, during which ‘One of our people was badly beaten’ although this isn’t explained. We also learn ‘''Werner had been thrown out of a window by two East German agents he’d discovered in his apartment. His leg was broken in three places’ [both Berlin Game'', Chap 1]. A question mark therefore sits against Werner’s loyalties - or at least which services other than London Central, over the years, may have viewed him as an asset.