Otto Pünter
Otto Pünter (4 April 1900 – 13 October 1988) was a Swiss journalist and anti-Nazi resistance fighter. During the Second World War, his codename was Pakbo, and he was a member of the Red Orchestra. Personal life Pünter was born in Bern, Switzerland. His father was a merchant. He gained an apprenticeship from the University of Neuchâtel. Afterwards, he lived in France, Spain and the United Kingdom. Career In 1928, Pünter was a founding member of the socialist news agency INSA. INSA aimed to spread anti-fascist news and worked with anti-fascist groups in Italy. Through this role, Pünter met many Italian informants. Pünter was also suspected to be a secret member of the Communist Party of Switzerland, and he saw Stalinism as less evil than fascism, Nazism, and Francoism. During the Spanish Civil War, it was claimed that Pünter built his own intelligence network, in order to sell secrets to the French and British. He also met many Soviet GRU agents, and decided to become a Soviet spy. During the Second World War, Pünter was a member of the Red Orchestra, and the Red Three. His codename was Pakbo, or sometimes Paquebot, and Pünter worked with the Soviet intelligence agencies.