Berlin Wall Escapes1961–1989

29 January 1962 · Window jumps · Bernauer Straße

Fake chimney sweep abseils from Bernauer Straße 13

Dressed as a chimney sweep, a young man walked past the guards into a border house, broke through a bricked-up attic window and let himself down on his sweep's rope.

Elevated view over a lawn with rows of rusty steel rods marking the former Wall, a road and cycle path in front, parked cars in a side street on the left and a white gable wall with a large 1961 photo mural.
The Berlin Wall Memorial on Bernauer Straße near Strelitzer Straße in 2016; No. 13 was one of the border houses on this stretch Photo: Fridolin freudenfett. Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

On 29 January 1962 a young man dressed as a chimney sweep came from the direction of the Elisabeth cemetery and walked up to the border houses on Bernauer Straße without being stopped; the border soldiers believed he was there on official business.

In the attic of Bernauer Straße 13 he broke through a window that had already been bricked up and let himself down to Bernauer Straße on his chimney sweep's rope, unhurt.

A border soldier posted in Bernauer Straße 6 only noticed him as he ran across the street. Two squad leaders were disciplined because of the escape.

Sources

Press

Historians and memorials

Facts checked against the sources: September 2026

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Berlin Experiences, “Fake chimney sweep abseils from Bernauer Straße 13”, Berlin Wall Escapes, 2026, https://berlinwallescapes.com/escapes/chimney-sweep-bernauer-strasse-13/ (accessed [date]).

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