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Merz was born in the west German town of Brilon in 1955 into a prominent conservative, Catholic family.

In October that year, West German police raided flats in Frankfurt where members of the PFLP-GC were preparing bombs in radio cassette players.

Earlier this year the BBC investigated the German connection to small boat crossings in the Channel with people smugglers operating in the west German city of Essen.

Hours later, the situation reached a tragic climax when a failed rescue attempt at a nearby airfield led to the deaths of all the hostages, along with five of the attackers and a West German police officer.

Stasi officers gave him an exit visa and some West German money and escorted him to Friedrichstrasse station, which was still served by trains from the western side of the city.