Willi Rinow

Willi Ludwig August Rinow (February 28th, 1907 in Berlin – March 29th, 1979 in Greifswald) was a German mathematician who specialized in differential geometry and topology.

In 1926, he attended the Humboldt University of Berlin, studying mathematics and physics under professors such as Max Planck, Ludwig Bieberbach, and Heinz Hopf.

His lecturing was interrupted because of his work as a mathematician at the Oberspreewerk in Berlin (a producer of radio and telecommunications technology) from 1946 to 1949.

During World War II, Rinow worked as a cryptanalyst in Subsection F of Referat I of Group IV of the Inspectorate 7/VI, that was later called the General der Nachrichtenaufklärung (GdNA), achieving the rank of Colonel.

Otto Buggisch who was a cryptanalyst who working in the GdNA and earlier the OKW/Chi and was interrogated by TICOM agents after the war, stated that Rinow was one of the most capable people in the unit.