18 August 1961 · Over the wall
Three wires cut at the Heidekampgraben
On 18 August 1961 a youth cut three strands of barbed wire at the Heidekampgraben near the Sonnenallee crossing and escaped. A family of three who tried to follow him through the gap was arrested.
The Heidekampgraben, a drainage ditch, formed the sector boundary between Treptow and Neukölln south-east of the Sonnenallee crossing point.
At about 17.20 on 18 August 1961 a youth cut through three wires of the barbed-wire fence with a tool and got through to West Berlin. He did this about 150 metres to the right of checkpoint 65 (Sonnenallee), in the direction of Dammweg. At that moment the police patrol was at the Sonnenallee.
A family of three tried to use the same opportunity to get across. They were caught and taken to the police post.
Sources
- Stab PdVP Berlin – Journal der Handlung, 18 August 1961Chronik der Mauer (document: Landesarchiv Berlin, C Rep. 303/26.1/239)
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