Klaus Schulze killed, Dieter Krause escapes at Falkenhöh

Klaus Schulze, from Falkensee on the western edge of Berlin, had tried to flee to West Berlin as a 14-year-old. He broke off his apprenticeship and belonged to a clique of young people the Stasi regarded as 'Gammler'. In summer 1971 he and his friend Dieter Krause left their jobs at the Hennigsdorf steelworks and were reprimanded by the town council; on 5 March 1972 Schulze received another severe reprimand for 'Arbeitsbummelei'. Having already been threatened with a labour re-education camp, the two decided to leave the GDR as quickly as possible.

A friend's plot in neighbouring Falkenhöh lay right on the border. The two inspected the section by day and by night: a watchtower about 300 metres away overlooked it, but vegetation gave cover and one of the strip lights was out.

On 7 March 1972, after visiting several bars, they walked to Falkenhöh at around 8 p.m. On the friend's plot – he was away and knew nothing of their plan – they found a 2.70-metre ladder in the shed, pushed it through the bent-up mesh of the rear fence and used it to cross the signal fence, unknowingly setting off the alarm. Schulze, carrying the rear of the ladder, tripped over a trip wire. Krause reached the last fence first, an expanded-metal fence about 2.50 metres high, and set up the ladder as the tower guards opened continuous fire.

Dieter Krause made it over the last fence under the hail of bullets. Klaus Schulze, who had fallen behind after his fall, was hit in the chest and killed. His parents were told he had 'died in an accident' during a border breakthrough of his own making. After 1990 one guard was acquitted and proceedings against the commander were dropped because he was unfit to stand trial.