When the Russians arrived in 1945, East Germans were denazified and re-educated. One of those responsible for this was Colonel Tulpanow. His name appears in memoirs and historical accounts. He was one of the most important post-war politicians in Germany and significantly influenced developments until 1990. The public saw him merely as a Russian cultural officer. This was a misconception. The son of a German Jew was a key figure in Soviet policy towards Germany. Summoned from Berlin by Stalin in 1949 and placed in academia in Leningrad, he was only allowed to leave the Soviet Union and set foot on German soil again in 1965. However, his impact remained. Throughout his life, he worked towards a reasonable relationship between Russians and Germans, building bridges. This first comprehensive biography of Tulpanow (1901-1984) sheds light on a challenging period.