Berlin, Brussels What happened in Bonn in 1999 reads like an agent thriller. Federal civil servant Ulrich Sandals was assigned a sensitive case when he fell out of the window of his apartment. He almost died and was in a coma for several days. Assassination attempt? He is still unclear today.

At the time of the mysterious accident, Sandals opposed the plans of the US government: President Bill Clinton wanted Encryption standard for young Internet still Applies, which would reserve exclusive access to US security agencies.

Sandal’s minister, FDP’s Gunter Rexrod, openly accused the US of engaging in “industrial espionage”. Even if there was an agreement in the end: Since then, Sandals has learned how hard it is to struggle for supremacy in the world of standards and patents.