Berlin Wall Escapes1961–1989

23 August 1961 · Over the wall

A lorry driver delivering building material jumps the barrier wall

At 7.30 a.m. on 23 August 1961 a lorry driver born in 1940, who was bringing building material to a control point, left his cab and jumped over the barrier wall into West Berlin.

Black-and-white photo of a street with a wall running along it, apartment buildings on both sides.
The Wall along Sebastianstraße in 1961, the stretch where control point 47 probably stood Photo: Willy Pragher. Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0

At 7.30 a.m. on 23 August 1961 Hans-Jürgen A., born in 1940, a driver for VEB Bautransport in Johannisthal and a member of the SPD, was delivering building material to control point 47 with his lorry. According to the East Berlin police journal he got out of the cab when he arrived and jumped over the barrier wall towards the West.

The Stasi report of 24 August began its list of the four people who, according to its information, had broken through from East Berlin to West Berlin with him: an SPD member of VEB Bau-Transport who had driven building material to the control point. The report stressed that all four had worked or lived right at the border.

Sources

  1. Stab Präsidium der Volkspolizei Berlin, Abt. Information – Journal der Handlung, 23 August 1961Chronik der Mauer (document: Landesarchiv Berlin, C Rep. 303/26.1/239)
  2. Jahrgang 1961: Lage nach dem Bau der Berliner Mauer (7) – Bericht Nr. 477/61, 24. August 1961Stasi-Unterlagen-Archiv (DDR im Blick)

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