Berlin Wall Escapes1961–1989

28 August 1961 · Guards who fled · Treptow and Neukölln

A policeman sends his partner to watch the West Berlin police car, then climbs the fence

At 1.25 a.m. on 28 August 1961 a riot policeman on double patrol in Heidelberger Straße told his partner to go and see what a West Berlin police car was doing, climbed the fence while he was gone and was driven away by the West Berlin police. He was probably Burghardt A., born in 1943.

Colour photo: a curved concrete wall with graffiti including 'Solidarność' in the foreground; behind it a cleared strip with a watchtower and lamp posts runs between apartment blocks and factory buildings.
The Wall and border strip along Heidelberger Straße between Neukölln and Treptow, November 1986 Photo: Roehrensee. Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

On the night of 27 to 28 August 1961 two Unterwachtmeister of the 1st company, 5th Abteilung, 1st riot-police brigade were on double patrol in Heidelberger Straße, in section 5.

At 1.25 a.m. a West Berlin police patrol car was standing on the western side. According to the Stasi report of 28 August, one of the two asked his comrade to go and see what the car was doing. As soon as the other man had gone, he climbed over the fence, went to the West Berlin police car and was driven away, taking his carbine, ammunition and gas mask.

A West Berlin police record of 6 September 1961 describes the flight of Burghardt A., a Wachtmeister born in 1943 and serving in the same company – 1st company, 5th Abteilung of the 1st motorised brigade – 'in Treptow' on 28 August. Burghardt A. told the West Berlin police that he had left because his political views did not match those of the GDR, that he was the only one from his company to flee, and that his unit had been moved to Treptow on 26 August after guarding Potsdamer Platz.

Sources

  1. Jahrgang 1961: Lage nach dem Bau der Berliner Mauer (12) – Bericht Nr. 494/61, 28. August 1961Stasi-Unterlagen-Archiv (DDR im Blick)
  2. Bericht des VP-Wachtmeisters Burghardt A. über seine Flucht nach West-Berlin am 28. August 1961, 6. September 1961Chronik der Mauer (document: Polizeihistorische Sammlung des Polizeipräsidenten in Berlin)

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Related escapes

  1. 19 August 1961

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    Late on 19 August 1961 two riot policemen deserted from Onckenstraße in Treptow to West Berlin, leaving their carbines behind. Three days later they turned up at the Wiener Brücke in a Volkswagen and waved to a guard of their old unit.

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  2. 25 August 1961

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    At about 3 p.m. on 25 August 1961 a riot policeman deserted from a patrol at Harzer Straße and Onckenstraße. Three days earlier the Stasi had told his battalion commander to keep him out of the front line, but the commander had put him back there against his company commander's advice.

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  3. 25 August 1961

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  4. 3 September 1961

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