3 September 1988 · Guards who fled
Two border guards cross from the Potsdam district to Kladow
On 3 September 1988 two members of the GDR border troops on duty in the Potsdam district crossed into Kladow, in the south-west of West Berlin.
On Saturday 3 September 1988 two GDR border guards deserted to West Berlin. According to the taz they came from the Potsdam district of the GDR and crossed into Kladow, a south-western part of West Berlin in the Spandau borough.
UPI reported the same day's defection of two East German border guards 'at the wall', and described them as being on duty when they fled.
Their escape was part of an unusual series. Less than 24 hours later, early on Sunday 4 September, two men swam a border canal to West Berlin, and that afternoon another man's attempt failed under rifle fire. Early on Monday two young metalworkers climbed the barriers between Groß Ziethen and Buckow.
The Senate chancellery declined to assess the run of escapes; the chairman of the Arbeitsgemeinschaft 13. August held the summer weather and media reports of successful escapes partly responsible.
Sources
Spotted an error, or know more about this story? Email us a correction or addition
Related escapes
28 November 1988
A border guard disables his partner's gun and crosses at Ostpreußendamm
On 28 November 1988 a member of the GDR border troops fled to West Berlin with his weapon at the Ostpreußendamm in Steglitz, after removing the bolt from his patrol partner's submachine gun.
17 August 1986
Two border guards climb the Wall at Groß Ziethen and celebrate in a West Berlin tavern
Days after the Wall's 25th anniversary, two East German border guards left their watchtower, helped each other up the Wall between Groß Ziethen and Neukölln, threw their guns back into the East and went to a West Berlin tavern.
July 1987
Jens Bernhardt waits until his partner falls asleep and climbs the fence into Spandau
In July 1987 a young conscript border guard hid his sleeping tower partner's ammunition at 3 a.m., climbed down and pulled himself over the steel-mesh fence into Spandau with metal hooks. He later spoke publicly about how the shoot-to-kill order was applied.
6 July 1987
A border guard in camouflage runs through the Spandau forest under fire
On Monday 6 July 1987 an East German border guard in a camouflage suit ran through the Spandau forest in north-west Berlin and reached West Berlin, dodging about 30 rounds of gunfire.