On the trail of Klaus Fuchs, atomic spy

Arguably the most important ‘atomic’ spy of the 20th century,
Klaus Fuchs was a German physicist who worked on the British and
US-led atomic projects of the Cold War era. In 1950, Fuchs was
caught passing vital secrets to the Soviet Union and sentenced to
14 years’ imprisonment.


Our exhibition curator Mark Dunton delves into Security Service
files in our collection to uncover how the authorities managed to
unmask Fuchs and secure his confession, and reveals a fascinating
local connection with Kew.