Is Gregor Klein Based on a Real BND Spymaster?

Created by Paul Coates, Netflix’s ‘Unfamiliar’ dives into the complex inner lives of two former spies, Simon and Meret. Once a feared duo that exerted the BND’s power in Germany, both now seek to lead a life of quiet and secrecy, especially now that they have a 16-year-old daughter who knows nothing of their dark history. However, when a figure from their past makes a surprising return, drawing blood, both Simon and Meret are forced to return to the skin they once shed. Their guiding force in this transition is Gregor Klein, their former spymaster and a top-rung official within the BND. And yet, it soon becomes apparent that the shadowy figure has its eyes set on Gregor as well, and that his dynamic with his own agency is no longer enough to protect him, or his agents, from what is to come.

Gregor is Likely Not Modelled After a Real-Life BND Spymaster

The character of Gregor Klein in ‘Unfamiliar’ is a fictional construct by the writers Paul Coates, Alexander Seibt, and Kim Zimmermann, who did not rely on any real-life antecedents. While that may be the case, there is a chance that Gregor is a composite of real-life figures working in German intelligence, ranging from former spies and spymasters to a host of other federal agents. Still, given that the specifics of his character arc are tied to the larger story of the show, it is unlikely that his primary inspiration comes from outside the narrative.

The central point surrounding Gregor’s character is his connection to the BND, or the Bundesnachrichtendienst, Germany’s foreign intelligence agency. Although we see a slightly altered version of the BND in the show, much of its functioning is directly based on real life. As such, it is possible that the crew was inspired by real spymasters and covert operative agents working inside the BND headquarters. From what we know, Gregor’s strengths in the show lie in his ability to hide and weave through identities, and that is consistent with reports of the creative team conducting special interviews with agents to get a handle on how identity shifts work. However, while Gregor might serve to humanize the BND’s presence in the story, he is ultimately an invented construct.

While Gregor does not outright lead the BND in the show, he is frequently depicted as one of its top members, with decades of service under his belt. To that end, there is a vague possibility that his character draws reference from some real-life figures who have played a major role in the history of the agency. Specifically, there might be loose parallels between Gregor and August Hanning, who from 1998 to 2005 was the President of the BND. This timeline is particularly important when it comes to the Cold War, as Hanning is known to be one of the key figures behind the restructuring of the agency and its role within the government. In the story, Gregor occupies a similar space, and while there are some superficial overlaps between him and Hanning, no such connection has been confirmed as of writing.

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