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A memorial marks the spot where 80 year old Olga Segler died after trying to escape by jumping from a third floor window on Bernauer Strasse in Berlin. - photo by TDP |
They
escaped to the West by tunnels, by stowing away in cargo, and by hot air
balloons. Some disguised themselves as Russian soldiers while others made
spontaneous escapes after observing security lapses along the border.
They were the fortunate ones. For along the Berlin Wall, the Landesgrenz, and the Baltic Sea almost a thousand people died
trying to escape to the West. Some were gunned down by border
guards, others killed
by land mines, and yet some drowned in rivers or the open sea. And
in East German prisons over 75,000 people served time for "fleeing
the country" when their escape attempts failed. Among this figure
included 5,500 Grenztruppen who were captured making their own dash to
freedom.
"Fleeing the Republic" as escape was called by the East German government, came in existence in 1952 when the regime implemented its first generation of border controls and fortifications. Prior to that time the border was relatively porous and East Germans would simply dodge Russian or Border Police patrols if they cared to visit or leave to the West. The decrees implemented in 1952, though, changed that. It was declared illegal to leave the country and people observed crossing the border could be shot. To further reduce the chances of escapes, people considered politically unreliable were evacuated from the border areas. In Berlin, though, the East Government closed some crossing points but for the most part Berliners could still cross the zonal boundaries into West Berlin without incident. This loop hole to the West would prove costly for the East German government as its citizens would merely travel to East Berlin and then walk over to West Berlin to escape the austere living conditions and Communist rule. By 1961, the number of East Germans leaving via Berlin continued to rise despite the decrees of 1952. As a result, the Berlin Wall was constructed and restrictions along the land border were intensified. Although escape to the West had always been risky, from that point on fleeing the republic became a deadly endeavor. The number of escapees dropped dramatically while the death toll climbed. By the time the border security system collapsed in 1989, a person daring to escape faced an incredible array of obstacles and security measures. Just to get to the restricted border areas required a special permit, and for a person living outside the area it was a major undertaking to dodge police and border guard check points just to get near the border. Once in the zone, an escapee still had to dodge the numerous patrols, guard towers, sensor fences, trip flares, and minefields. While some people chose to escape over the fortified border, other East Germans sought to take advantage of the less fortified borders in Poland and Czechoslovakia and escape there while on business or vacation. A failed escape attempt obviously had dire consequences. In addition to the possibility of being shot by border guards or killed by mines, an escapee faced prison if captured alive. Additionally, family members could face repercussions if deemed appropriate by state officials. In some cases children were removed from families and put up for adoption. A border guard caught trying to escape faced even harsher punishment. Not only were the prison terms longer, but they were to be shot without warning if they tried to escape. |
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A successful escape through the fence mines was not without costs - photo by BBP |
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East German Stasi officials investigate the site of an escape at the border fence. - BGS photo Erwin Ritter |
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Oct 7, 1962 - East Berlin workers dig out an escape tunnel in order to seal it. - UPI Radiotelephoto (author's collection) |
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