German couple hopes Putin can solve Cold War mystery

DRESDEN, Germany, Oct 7 (Reuters) A German couple whose infant vanished under mysterious circumstances 22 years ago just before Vladimir Putin arrived as a KGB agent in Dresden hope the man who is now Russia's president can help find their son.

Felix Tschoek disappeared on December 28, 1984 after his parents parked his pram outside a department store in Dresden, a common practice in communist East Germany where street crime was virtually non-existent, in what authorities believe may have been a swap for a Russian baby.

His parents, Eberhard and Lenore Tschoek, believe he may had been kidnapped by the Soviets and hope to enlist Putin's help on Tuesday when the Russian leader visits the city, where he served as a Soviet spy from 1985 to 1990 in East Germany.

The disappearance of 5-month old baby Felix sparked one of the biggest police investigations in communist East German history and was a major story in the media for months in 1985.

East German police closed the unresolved case at the end of that year, but the Tschoeks recently succeeded in convincing authorities in unified Germany to re-open the investigation.

''We just want to know how our child is doing now,'' Lenore, now 46, said in an interview with Reuters. She was a 24-year-old student in 1984. ''We just want to know what happened to him.'' They hope Putin can help. During his visit, the Russian leader will meet German Chancellor Angela Merkel, whose chancellery is aware of the case.

''It was horrible,'' said Eberhard Tschoek, an engineer who was 28 when Felix went missing. ''It was a nightmare.'' The Tschoeks believe that the Soviets, who had a large military presence in Dresden, may have kidnapped their son because only a few days after Felix disappeared, an abandoned baby of about one-year old was found left in a box in Dresden.

Police traced the box to a Soviet company. Authorities believe that the one-year old boy, who reportedly responded to Russian language sounds at the time, may have been abandoned in an exchange with Felix.

The one-year-old was at first believed to be seriously ill and had operation scars that were not common for East Germany.

The baby was adopted by East Germans and given the name Martin.

He turned out to be healthy and now lives in Saxony.

''There is a chance we will find further clues,'' said state prosecutor Christian Avenarius, who has sent staff to Russia to investigate.

Putin, who served as a low level KGB spy in Dresden from 1985 to 1990, has not gone into much detail when discussing his work before he became involved in politics.

But the Tschoeks hope that because of his Dresden past and his connections, he offers them a glimmer of hope.

''Putin has to help us. He's the only one who has the power to help us,'' said Leonore Tschoek.

REUTERS AKJ KP0904