Berlin Wall Escapes1961–1989

11 September 1961 · Window jumps · Bernauer Straße

69-year-old Ella K. escapes with the fire brigade's help

Shortly after midnight the West Berlin fire brigade helped 69-year-old Ella K. out of her first-floor flat; the guards noticed only when she was already safe.

Sunny street corner with a grass strip and path in front, low apartment buildings behind, and on the right a white gable wall labelled 'Bernauer Straße' with a large black-and-white mural and a row of photo panels.
Bernauer Straße near Brunnenstraße in 2022; No. 23 stood on this stretch Photo: Francesco Adami. Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

According to the memorial, shortly after midnight on 11 September 1961 69-year-old Ella K. escaped from her first-floor flat at Bernauer Straße 23 with the help of the West Berlin fire brigade.

The border guards did not notice the escape until she was already safely in the West.

Black-and-white photo taken over a low wall of breeze blocks topped with barbed wire: a line of canvas-covered lorries stands in a cobbled side street between tall apartment houses, with people and furniture on the pavement; signs in the foreground read 'Ende franz. Sektors' and 'Fin du secteur français'.
Lorries lined up in a side street off Bernauer Straße in early September 1961 to clear furniture from the border houses (CIA booklet photo) Photo: The Central Intelligence Agency. Wikimedia Commons, Public domain

They broke open the door of her flat but could no longer do anything to stop her.

Sources

GDR records

Historians and memorials

Facts checked against the sources: September 2026

Spotted an error, or know more about this story? Email us a correction or addition

Cite this page

Berlin Experiences, “69-year-old Ella K. escapes with the fire brigade's help”, Berlin Wall Escapes, 2026, https://berlinwallescapes.com/escapes/ella-k-bernauer-strasse-23-1961/ (accessed [date]).

Related escapes

  1. 19 September 1961

    Heavily pregnant Helga Knittel jumps first

    The Knittel family called the West Berlin fire brigade, then jumped one after another from their second-floor window into its net: first the heavily pregnant mother, then the daughter, then the father.

    Window jumps · Reached the West · Mitte

  2. 19 September 1961

    Three generations jump into the net at Bernauer Straße 10

    At about 11.30 p.m. Mrs K., her daughter-in-law and her grandson Detlef jumped from the second floor into a West Berlin fire brigade net.

    Window jumps · Reached the West · Mitte

  3. 19 September 1961

    Erich B.'s family jumps from Bernauer Straße 42

    A family of five from Swinemünder Straße 23 jumped from the first floor of the neighbouring house into a fire brigade net; the father broke his thigh.

    Window jumps · Reached the West · Mitte

  4. 20 September 1961

    Five fire engines for two jumpers at Bernauer Straße 10

    Just after midnight guards watched five fire engines take up position with jumping sheets; shortly afterwards two people jumped.

    Window jumps · Reached the West · Mitte