In 1955, he completed a Master of Business Travelers. A member of the SED, from 1958-59 he was deputy managing editor at a magazine. From 1960, he began working as a freelance writer. From 1962, he served as officer on special assignment with the code name "Faingold" for the
Stasi. In 1965, he earned his doctorate from the
"Walter Ulbricht" Law Academy ("Deutsche Akademie für Staats- und Rechtswissenschaft "Walter Ulbricht"") at
Potsdam-Babelsberg for "The secret services of the German Federal Republic and their subversive activities against the German Democratic Republic". In 1970, he received his
habilitation (higher academic qualification) from the
Humboldt University of Berlin, for work co-authored with
Albert Charisius on the development, system and operation of the
German secret service. Mader's military and political writings covered the period of the Nazi era and the Cold War. His books have a circulation of several million, including translations. He was the author of the book ''
Who's Who in the CIA'', which has been identified as an "active measure" of
disinformation. == References ==