19 August 1961 · Window jumps · Bernauer Straße
Rudolf Urban's rope descent from Bernauer Straße 1
Rudolf Urban and his wife let themselves down on a rope from their first-floor flat; he was badly injured and died in hospital four weeks later.
Rudolf Urban, a driver born in 1914, was 47 years old when the Wall was built. He lived with his wife on the first floor of Bernauer Straße 1. The house stood in East Berlin, but the pavement in front of it belonged to the West Berlin district of Wedding. On the evening of 18 August 1961 the couple heard the front door of their building being nailed shut.
On 19 August 1961 the couple fixed a rope to the window and let themselves down to the western pavement. Both slipped during the descent and were hurt; Rudolf Urban crushed his heel bone. They were taken to the nearby Lazarus Hospital in West Berlin.
While in hospital Urban caught pneumonia, from which he did not recover. He died on 17 September 1961. The district of Wedding later put up a memorial of wood and barbed wire in front of the house.
Sources
Whose account is this? Drawn from a GDR record, a press report and historical research.
GDR records
- Stab. Präsidium der Volkspolizei Berlin – Abt. Information – Journal der Handlung, 19. August 1961Chronik der Mauer (document: Landesarchiv Berlin, C Rep. 303/26.1/239)
Press
- Schicksalsort Bernauer Straße nach dem Bau der Berliner Mauer 1961ullstein bild blog
Historians and memorials
- Urban, RudolfChronik der Mauer
- Die Bernauer StraßeStiftung Berliner Mauer
Facts checked against the sources: September 2026
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Cite this page
Berlin Experiences, “Rudolf Urban's rope descent from Bernauer Straße 1”, Berlin Wall Escapes, 2026, https://berlinwallescapes.com/escapes/rudolf-urban-bernauer-strasse-1/ (accessed [date]).
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