Alexander Edel

**Alexander "Alex" Edel** is a major character in *Deutschland 83* and its follow up series *Deutschland 86*.  Prior to his dismissal, he held the rank of First Lieutenant in the West German Army.

## Biography

### Deutschland 83

He is the rebellious son of General Edel and Ursula Edel. Throughout the series, he becomes good friends with Martin Rauch, unaware that he is actually posing as a spy named Moritz Stamm, who was stationed in the West German Army and due to be the right-hand man to his father but was murdered so that Martin could take his place.

He has a fractured relationship with his father and becomes radicalised after attending peace rallies held by law professor Tobias Tischbier, who attempts to make a pass at Alex while they attend a film screening alone together, which causes Alex to panic and flee.  After arguing with his father over Alex's anti-war views, going as far as to label his father a Nazi, he packs his bags and shows up at TIschbier's house where they kiss before sleeping together, thus revealing that Alex is openly gay.

In the episode Cold Fire, after Tischbier advises him to return to the army, he storms out and later shows up at his sister's ashram but butts heads again with the Krishna.  At the end of the episode, a camera takes pictures of him going into the East German embassy as he offers his services as a spy in the East.

In the episode Brandy Station, he takes General Jackson and a prostitute hostage in a brothel.  Jackson tries to talk sense into Alex but Alex makes Jackson record a confession about the Americans interfering with the Germans.  However, due to technical difficulties, they have to keep starting over but Jackson manages to free himself and a struggle for Alex's gun ensues with the prostitute ending up dead.  Stamm and Kramer arrive to stop Alex but this results in Kramer's death when the police arrive.  Alex goes into shock at the sight of blood on his hands until Stamm calms him down, telling him that he could be tried for treason.

In the episode Bold Guard after Tischbier learns from his boyfriend that the latter has AIDS, the former shows up at a protest rally outside the barracks where Stamm and Alex are stationed. Alex thinks he wants to rekindle their relationship but Tischbier advises him to get tested.

In Able Archer, he discovers that Martin is really from the East and has been working as an undercover spy.  He gets tested for the AIDS virus with the nurse telling him there is no cure for the disease and when he returns home after his father has already arrived to an empty house a gunshot rings out, leaving the scene on a cliffhanger.

### Deutschland 86

Three years later, in the episode Ommegang it is shown that Alex survived the gunshot and is dancing at Club Paradise. He rebukes his friend Tim Avery when the latter tries to kiss him.

In the episode Dragon Rouge, they are shown working in an AIDS hospice in Berlin. However, when they see a news report about a protest involving Tobias Tischbier, Alex does not admit that they know each other. Along with their friend Katie Janeway they decide to confront the head of the Sprembex Corporation Florian Amend about the company's failure to find a cure for AIDS but are turned away.

As they make their way through a subway station they encounter Frau Netz, who has moved on to another job. She mentions his father and Alex later tells Tim and Katie that he had tried to commit suicide after getting his AiDS test but when his father tried to stop him the gun went off and shot the latter, resulting in him being paralysed from the waist down.

In the episode Green Book, he, Tim and several others hold a protest at Sprembex by lying on the floor. He and Tim smile at each other and they are later seen celebrating at a discotheque in West Berlin and the latter kisses him, thus revealing himself as gay. As Tim goes off to dance, Alex stands in a corner smiling but at that moment a bomb that been placed by the DJ booth explodes.

In the episode Tjello Alex shows up at a hospital looking for Tim, who has been badly injured in the bomb blast, and Katie joins him. In the following episode El Dorado Canyon, Tim's mother is repulsed when she sees Alex holding her son's hand and tells him to leave. At a memorial service for the victims, Alex makes a speech not only about the victims of the bombing but also about AiDS victims and she gets up to leave. When Tischbier and fellow protesters show up Alex finishes his speech and talks to Tischbier afterwards, with the two agreeing to meet later.

In the episode Vula. he meets Tischbier as he is leaving the hospice and shows him around. Tischbier reveals that he is HIV positive and Alex says that when the disease worsens he can attend the hospice and they will look after him. Alex tells him that he has a meeting with Florian Amend at the Sprembex Corporation and later breaks into the latter's office while the secretary goes to photocopy some documents. Having noticed Annett's signature on some documents, Alex tackles Amend about it, even cutting his own hand to prove his point before he is thrown out of the building. Tischbier returns his bag to him and Alex reveals that he is HIV negative.

In the final episode Total Onslaught, a horrified Dietrich and Schweppenstette see him on TV at a protest rally making a speech about eradicating public perception about AIDS.

## Appearances

### Deutschland 83

* Quantum Jump
* Brave Guy
* Atlantic Lion
* Northern Wedding
* Cold Fire
* Brandy Station
* Bold Guard
* Able Archer

### Deutschland 86

* Ommegang
* Dragon Rouge
* Green Book
* Tjello
* El Dorado Canyon
* Vula
* Total Onslaught