17 August 1961 · Swimming · Brandenburg Gate and the Reichstag · Invalidenstraße and the Humboldthafen
Across the Spree behind the Charité
On 17 August 1961 a person swam the Spree from behind the Charité hospital towards West Berlin. The Stasi said the confusing terrain there made the border very hard to secure.
The Stasi situation report of 17 August 1961 gave this case as an example of the breakthroughs that still showed serious gaps in the new security system: on that day a person swam through the Spree 'behind the Charité' towards West Berlin.
The report added that in the previous days there had already been several attempts to get to West Berlin from the Charité grounds, because the confusing terrain made the area very hard to secure.
Sources
- Jahrgang 1961: Lage nach dem Bau der Berliner Mauer (1) – Bericht Nr. 440/61, 17. August 1961Stasi-Unterlagen-Archiv (DDR im Blick)
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