10 November 1983 · Over the wall · Bernauer Straße

Ronni S. and the painter's ladder

Ronni S. tried to get over the Wall with a painter's stepladder and was arrested in the border strip.

On the evening of 10 November 1983 Ronni S. tried to escape to West Berlin across the border strip on Bernauer Straße.

He tried to do it with the help of a painter's stepladder (Malerleiter).

Border soldiers arrested him inside the strip.

Sources

Facts checked against the sources: September 2026

Spotted an error, or know more about this story? Email us a correction or addition

Cite this page

Berlin Experiences, “Ronni S. and the painter's ladder”, Berlin Wall Escapes, 2026, https://berlinwallescapes.com/escapes/ronni-s-stepladder-1983/ (accessed [date]).

  1. 6 September 1961

    Günter Tr. climbs the Wall with a company ladder

    An employee of the Murante firm in the border zone went to work as usual and then, with a woman smuggled in by a colleague, climbed the Wall on a company ladder; the colleague was arrested.

    Over the wall · Reached the West · Mitte

  2. 24 July 1984

    Ladder escape at Brunnenstraße despite an aimed shot

    An unknown man climbed the inner wall with a ladder, set off the alarm cutting the signal fence, and got over the Wall after the Schönholzer Straße tower fired a warning shot and a missed aimed shot.

    Over the wall · Reached the West · Mitte

  3. 27 October 1968

    The guards couldn't open their window: folding-ladder escape at Schönholzer Straße

    At 1 a.m. a man with a folding ladder crossed every barrier; by the time the Ruppiner Straße tower crew had smashed the window they could not open and fired, he was in the West.

    Over the wall · Reached the West · Mitte

  4. 25 April 1980

    Martin M. reaches the watchtower at Ackerstraße

    A day after quitting his job, Martin M. climbed the inner wall at Ackerstraße and got as far as the watchtower before he was arrested.

    Over the wall · Stopped · Mitte