9 May 1989 · Driving through · Hennigsdorf, Nieder Neuendorf and the Havel
Citroën at the Stolpe crossing
A 27-year-old fitter drove a Citroën through the first barrier at Stolpe at 80 km/h, losing the car's roof, before crashing into the base of a second barrier.
Early on 9 May 1989 a 27-year-old fitter approached the Stolpe crossing, on the northern edge of West Berlin, at 80 km/h in a Citroën.
He broke through the first barrier, which tore off the car's roof and smashed the windscreen. The car then hit the concrete base of another barrier and was written off.
The driver was arrested and taken, seriously injured, to the district hospital in Hennigsdorf.
Sources
Whose account is this? Drawn from a press report and historical research.
Historians and memorials
Facts checked against the sources: September 2026
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Cite this page
Berlin Experiences, “Citroën at the Stolpe crossing”, Berlin Wall Escapes, 2026, https://berlinwallescapes.com/escapes/citroen-stolpe-1989/ (accessed [date]).
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