An inflatable dinghy across the Britzer Zweigkanal
On the afternoon of 13 August 1961 two young people crossed the Britzer Zweigkanal in Johannisthal in an inflatable dinghy. About twenty minutes later a third youth swam across at the same spot.
The East Berlin police's own log records that on 13 August 1961, at about 16.16, two young people crossed the Britzer Zweigkanal in Berlin-Johannisthal in an inflatable dinghy and reached West Berlin. At about 16.35 another youth swam across at the same place. Someone had brought him to the bank on a motor scooter and then turned round and driven back. The police set about tracing the scooter's owner.
The next day the police log recorded that people were still leaving across the Britzer Zweigkanal, and that a boat of the West Berlin police ('Stumm') was on the canal helping those who swam over.
Sources
Whose account is this? Told from GDR records only: documents of the GDR’s police, Stasi or border troops. No other account of the event is cited.
GDR records
- Stab PdVP Berlin – Journal der Handlung, 13 August 1961Chronik der Mauer (document: Landesarchiv Berlin, C Rep. 303/26.1/239)
- Stab PdVP Berlin – Journal der Handlung, 14 August 1961Chronik der Mauer (document: Landesarchiv Berlin, C Rep. 303/26.1/239)
Facts checked against the sources: September 2026
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Cite this page
Berlin Experiences, “An inflatable dinghy across the Britzer Zweigkanal”, Berlin Wall Escapes, 2026, https://berlinwallescapes.com/escapes/britzer-zweigkanal-dinghy-1961/ (accessed [date]).
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