Berlin Wall Escapes1961–1989

19 August 1961 · Guards who fled

A policeman crawls under the wire at mealtime

On 19 August 1961 Volkspolizei Wachtmeister Manfred B. used the handing-out of food as cover and crawled under the barbed wire near the Sonnenallee crossing, in full kit and carrying a submachine gun. His fellow guard's weapon jammed.

Black-and-white photo of a crowd in winter coats queuing between barriers beside a wooden hut, with parked cars and a uniformed guard.
West Berlin visitors queuing at the Sonnenallee crossing point on 5 January 1964 Photo: Bundesarchiv, Bild 183-C0105-0003-001 / Stöhr. Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 de

Manfred B. was born in Berlin in 1940. He belonged to the 3rd section of a Bereitschaftspolizei unit from Leipzig. He had been in the Volkspolizei since December 1958 and was a member of the FDJ.

At about 14.00 on 19 August 1961 he was near the Sonnenallee checkpoint, level with Frauenlobstraße. While food was being handed out, he crawled under the barbed wire of the barrier. He went in full equipment, carrying his submachine gun and 48 rounds of ammunition.

The second guard on the post could not fire because his weapon jammed. The police report added that B. had already been in a bad mood beforehand. A commission took over the case together with the Stasi and the criminal police.

Sources

  1. Stab PdVP Berlin – Journal der Handlung, 19 August 1961Chronik der Mauer (document: Landesarchiv Berlin, C Rep. 303/26.1/239)
  2. Bericht Nr. 457/61, 19 August 1961 – Lage nach dem Bau der Berliner Mauer (3)Stasi-Unterlagen-Archiv (DDR im Blick)

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