Berlin Wall Escapes1961–1989

29 August 1961 · Guards who fled

Called over from the West, a guard at Sebastianstraße goes

On 29 August 1961 a riot policeman guarding Sebastianstraße, urged from the West Berlin side to come over 'before it is too late', deserted as soon as his partner turned away.

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 street's northern side belonged to East Berlin, the southern side to West Berlin Photo: Willy Pragher. Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0

Sebastianstraße in Kreuzberg was cut by the new wall; the Chronik der Mauer notes for 29 August 1961 that the carriageway was becoming a death strip and that the houses at Nos. 1–3 belonged to East Berlin.

According to the Stasi report of 29 August 1961, an Unterwachtmeister of the 1st company, 2nd motorised Abteilung posted in Sebastianstraße was spoken to from the western side and urged to flee. At first neither he nor the Wachtmeister with him reacted. People on the western side told him that everything was ready and he should come quickly, before it was too late. When the Wachtmeister turned away to make a round, the Unterwachtmeister used the moment to flee.

The report recorded three desertions from the riot police in its reporting period and one attempt stopped at the last moment, with the man's feet already on the other side of the wire.

Sources

  1. Jahrgang 1961: Lage nach dem Bau der Berliner Mauer (13) – Bericht Nr. 496/61, 29. August 1961Stasi-Unterlagen-Archiv (DDR im Blick)
  2. Chronik 1961, August (daily entries)Chronik der Mauer

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