24 September 1961 · Window jumps
Frieda Schulze's tug-of-war at the window
As forced evictions began, a 77-year-old widow climbed onto her window ledge while East Berlin police tried to pull her back and West Berliners tried to help her down; she fell into the fire brigade's net.
Frieda Schulze had lived at Bernauer Straße 29 since the end of the war. After the Wall was built she had to move from her ground-floor flat to the first floor. When the mass forced evictions of the border houses began on 24 September 1961, the 77-year-old widow decided to flee.
The West Berlin fire brigade stretched a jumping sheet under her window. She first threw her cat and small belongings into it, then climbed onto the window sill but did not dare to jump.
Young West Berliners climbed up the front of the building to help her. Meanwhile East Berlin police had broken into the flat and tried to pull her back inside, while others threw tear gas at the West Berlin firefighters. In the end Frieda Schulze fell into the net and reached the West. Photographs of the scene became famous around the world.
Sources
- Gedenkstätte Berliner Mauer, Bereich D: Ereignismarken (D 412)Stiftung Berliner Mauer
- Schicksalsort Bernauer Straße nach dem Bau der Berliner Mauer 1961ullstein bild blog
- Chronik 1961 – SeptemberChronik der Mauer
Spotted an error, or know more about this story? Email us a correction or addition
Related escapes
22 September 1961
Family F. jumps under fire from the third floor
While a border policeman fired a warning shot and West Berlin police answered with tear gas, a mother jumped into the fire brigade's net; her husband threw down their five-year-old son and then jumped himself.
25 September 1961
Olga Segler's jump into the fire brigade net
Encouraged by her daughter waiting below, 80-year-old Olga Segler jumped from her second-floor window into a fire brigade net. She died the next day.
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.
24 September 1961
Evacuation-squad member jumps from Bernauer Straße 6
A doctoral candidate who had been sent with a militia unit to clear the border houses used a moment when a guard stepped away to jump from a first-floor balcony door into the West.