Otto John | |
|---|---|
| President of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution | |
| In office 1 December 1950 – 20 July 1954 | |
| President | Theodor Heuss |
| Chancellor | Konrad Adenauer |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Hanss Jess |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 19 March 1909 Marburg, Germany |
| Died | 26 March 1997 (aged 88) Innsbruck, Austria |
| Alma mater | University of Marburg |
| Occupation | Lawyer, civil servant |
Otto John (19 March 1909 – 26 March 1997) was a German lawyer and intelligence official. During World War Two, he was a conspirator in the 20 July plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler. Following the war, he became the first head of West Germany's domestic intelligence service, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution. In July 1954, he surfaced in East Germany, where he made public appearances criticizing the government in Bonn and Chancellor Konrad Adenauer. After his return to West Germany in 1955, despite maintaining that he had been drugged and kidnapped, John was convicted and sentenced to prison for treason.