17 September 1962 · Window jumps · Bernauer Straße
West Berlin police open a cellar window for three young men
While a West Berlin officer held the guards' observation post at gunpoint, police broke open a walled-up cellar window and three young men climbed out.
The border troops had set up an observation post in Bernauer Straße 44 to watch the street. On the evening of 17 September 1962 they noticed a man in front of the empty house at Bernauer Straße 42 and suspected an escape. The squad leader sent for a torch to search the building.
Meanwhile a West Berlin police officer held the observation post at gunpoint with his pistol drawn, while other officers took up position in front of number 42, ready to fire. They broke open a bricked-up cellar window, and three young men climbed out.
The escapees were driven away at once in a police vehicle. When the border soldiers arrived half an hour later, the escape was over.
Sources
Whose account is this? Told from historical research only.
Historians and memorials
- Gedenkstätte Berliner Mauer – Bereich D: Alltag an der Mauer (Orientierungsplan und Ereignismarken), marker D 429Stiftung Berliner Mauer
- D 429 – Digital Guide, Berlin Wall MemorialStiftung Berliner Mauer
Facts checked against the sources: September 2026
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Cite this page
Berlin Experiences, “West Berlin police open a cellar window for three young men”, Berlin Wall Escapes, 2026, https://berlinwallescapes.com/escapes/bernauer-strasse-42-cellar-window-1962/ (accessed [date]).
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