Berlin Wall Escapes1961–1989

29 September 1961 · Window jumps · Bernauer Straße

The pair who came to rent a cellar

A woman and a man posing as would-be tenants of an 89-year-old's cellar ran straight to her window and jumped.

A large corner apartment building on Bernauer Straße in winter.
The corner house Bernauer Straße 44 / Wolliner Straße in January 1978 Photo: John Spooner. Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0

On the morning of 29 September 1961 89-year-old Mrs K. at Bernauer Straße 44 was expecting two strangers who wanted to rent her cellar.

Shortly before noon a woman and a man rang the bell. As soon as they were inside they ran to the window to escape. When the frightened Mrs K. screamed, they put a hand over her mouth.

Sepia photo of an old tram on a cobbled street, with tall tenement houses whose ground-floor windows are bricked up on the right and a screen wall across the street behind.
Bernauer Straße at Wolliner Straße on 8 June 1962, with No. 44's windows bricked up Photo: Sigurd Hilkenbach. Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Neighbours who heard the scream alerted the guards, but by the time they reached the flat the pair had already jumped from the window.

Sources

Historians and memorials

Facts checked against the sources: September 2026

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Berlin Experiences, “The pair who came to rent a cellar”, Berlin Wall Escapes, 2026, https://berlinwallescapes.com/escapes/bernauer-strasse-44-cellar-visitors-1961/ (accessed [date]).

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