8 June 1962 · By boat · The Spree between Kreuzberg and Friedrichshain
The excursion ship "Friedrich Wolf"
Young East Berliners commandeered the passenger steamer "Friedrich Wolf", locked up its crew and swerved under heavy fire into West Berlin's Landwehrkanal.
In the early morning of 8 June 1962 thirteen young East Berliners, bringing a baby with them, took over the excursion ship "Friedrich Wolf". They had plied the captain and engineer with alcohol and locked them in their cabins below deck; the vessel had been shielded with metal plates against gunfire.
The ship came down the Spree from Treptow towards the Oberbaumbrücke. At about 5.05 a.m., roughly 400 metres before the bridge, it swung around sharply and headed at full speed into the Landwehrkanal towards the Upper Lock in West Berlin.
Three GDR border boats pursued it and opened fire; Chronik der Mauer counts 135 shots, twelve of which hit West Berlin territory. West Berlin police returned fire, and the refugees reached the western bank and jumped ashore unhurt under police protection.
The captain and engineer returned voluntarily to East Berlin. Afterwards the GDR guarded its passenger ships at night and had their steering wheels removed and stored. A memorial plaque recalls the escape.
Sources
Whose account is this? Drawn from a press report and historical research.
Press
- Hart backbord – letzte Ausfahrt West-BerlinDer Tagesspiegel
Historians and memorials
- Gelungene Flucht mit dem Fahrgastschiff „Friedrich Wolf“ am Osthafen, 8. Juni 1962Chronik der Mauer
- Gedenktafel – Flucht des Schiffs „Friedrich Wolf“Museum Treptow-Köpenick / berlin.de
- Flucht aus der DDR: Durchs WasserDemokratiegeschichten
- Bericht der West-Berliner Schutzpolizei über die Lage an der Sektor- und Zonengrenze sowie auf S- und Reichsbahngelände für den Monat Juni 1962 [Auszug]Chronik der Mauer (document: Polizeihistorische Sammlung des Polizeipräsidenten in Berlin)
Facts checked against the sources: October 2026
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Cite this page
Berlin Experiences, “The excursion ship "Friedrich Wolf"”, Berlin Wall Escapes, 2026, https://berlinwallescapes.com/escapes/friedrich-wolf-ship-hijack/ (accessed [date]).
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