Berlin Wall Escapes1961–1989

22 August 1961 · Guards who fled · Treptow and Neukölln

A patrolman excuses himself at Kiefholzstraße and does not come back

Shortly after midnight on 22 August 1961 an Unterwachtmeister on patrol at the corner of Kiefholzstraße and Dammweg left his unit, saying he needed to relieve himself, and deserted.

A narrow iced-over ditch winding between allotment gardens and birch trees on a sunny winter day.
The Heidekampgraben near the Dammweg in 2011; the sector border between Treptow and Neukölln followed this ditch Photo: Lienhard Schulz. Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

At about 0.15 a.m. on 22 August 1961 an Unterwachtmeister of the 1st company, 4th Bereitschaft, who was on patrol at Kiefholzstraße/Dammweg, left his unit on the pretext of relieving himself and deserted, according to the Stasi report dated 21 August.

The report listed seven desertions for the period. In two other cases it recorded the same pretext: a soldier of the Staaken company and a signals policeman who left his post between control points 3 and 4.

Sources

  1. Jahrgang 1961: Lage nach dem Bau der Berliner Mauer (5) – Bericht Nr. 470/61, 21. August 1961Stasi-Unterlagen-Archiv (DDR im Blick)

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Related escapes

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    At about 3 a.m. on 28 August 1961 two riot policemen patrolling Kiefholzstraße in Treptow deserted together, half an hour after their last check.

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  2. 30 August 1961

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  3. 25 August 1961

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  4. 30 August 1961

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