Life again changed abruptly in 1986, shortly after her 35th birthday. Recently divorced for the fourth time, Felgner was introduced to the inside of a Stasi jail as an inmate of the . She had disappointed and let down her Stasi backers after developing a powerful urge to move across to West Germany. The files disclose that she applied to transfer and work as a "double agent". The Stasi reply was a categorical "no". Aside from any other considerations, it is reasonable to suppose that the Stasi, aware of Günther Asbeck's defection to the west, would have assumed - and probably known - that he had briefed West German intelligence about her. Uta Felgner's chances of operating in West Germany unbeknown to the security services there would have been zero. None of this diminished her resolve to move to the west. During the late 1940s and early 1950s millions had already done this, compounding the labour shortage created by the slaughter of war and causing the government to impose increasingly effective measures to stem the flow. Since 1979 (or earlier) escape from East Germany to West Germany (without official permission) had been illegal, difficult and dangerous. Nevertheless, Felgner planned to escape. The plan unravelled when Hans Schulze, the West German businessman who was, at this time, her lover, had his car searched by frontier officers when he was on his way home from the Leipzig Trade Fair. His BMW cabriolet was found to contain a large quantity of valuables and a large amount of money. There was also a letter, written by Felgner, setting out various explosive pieces of information about members of the East German political establishment. The letter was evidently intended to serve as "insurance" in the event of "problems" with the East German authorities.