14 July 1985 · Over the wall · Kleinmachnow, Teltow and the Teltow Canal
Ladder escape from Kleinmachnow
An 18-year-old used a ladder at Erlenweg in Kleinmachnow to get into the death strip and crossed every barrier under fire; a Stasi report blamed a lamp that kept going dark for 30 seconds.
On 14 July 1985 an 18-year-old used a ladder at Erlenweg in Kleinmachnow to climb into the border strip. His presence set off an alarm and border guards opened fire.
Despite the shooting he crossed the patrol road, the anti-vehicle obstacles and the control strip and then climbed over the border fence, reaching Zehlendorf in West Berlin unharmed.
A Stasi report noted that a lamp in the lighting at the escape spot had long been faulty and 'goes dark for 30 seconds at regular intervals', which it said the escapee had probably exploited and which had hampered accurate fire.
Sources
Whose account is this? Told from historical research only.
Historians and memorials
Facts checked against the sources: September 2026
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Berlin Experiences, “Ladder escape from Kleinmachnow”, Berlin Wall Escapes, 2026, https://berlinwallescapes.com/escapes/kleinmachnow-ladder-1985/ (accessed [date]).
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