23 March 1966 · Guards who fled · Bernauer Straße
"Now there are two fewer of you!"
Two conscripts on duty at Eberswalder Straße broke open a door in the sight screen, climbed onto the freight-yard wall and jumped into the West; their comrades only noticed when a West Berlin policeman shouted across.
On 23 March 1966 the conscripts Udo S. and Burckhardt B. were posted at Eberswalder Straße. Both were unhappy with border duty, and that afternoon they decided to flee.
They broke open the door in the sight screen at Eberswalder Straße, which took them out of view of the other guards. To the right of the screen they climbed onto the wall of the freight yard and jumped down into the West.
Their escape only came to light when a West Berlin police officer called out to the remaining guards: "Na, jetzt seid ihr ja zwei weniger!" ("Well, now there are two fewer of you!")
Sources
Whose account is this? Told from historical research only.
Historians and memorials
Facts checked against the sources: September 2026
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Berlin Experiences, “"Now there are two fewer of you!"”, Berlin Wall Escapes, 2026, https://berlinwallescapes.com/escapes/eberswalder-strasse-conscripts-1966/ (accessed [date]).
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