26 September 1965 · Swimming · Brandenburg Gate and the Reichstag
A young man swims the Spree by the Reichstag unseen
Early on 26 September 1965 a young East German swam the Spree near the old Reichstag building into the British sector of West Berlin without the border guards noticing.
Early on 26 September 1965 a young East German escaped to the British sector of West Berlin by swimming the Spree, which formed the border near the old Reichstag building, the West Berlin police said.
The river is about 30 yards wide there. He reached the western bank without attracting the attention of the East Berlin border guards and was taken to hospital suffering from exposure.
Sources
Whose account is this? Told from a press report only.
Press
- Swimming Spree Gives German Freedom (29 September 1965)Evening Post (Wellington), via Papers Past (National Library of New Zealand)
Facts checked against the sources: November 2026
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Cite this page
Berlin Experiences, “A young man swims the Spree by the Reichstag unseen”, Berlin Wall Escapes, 2026, https://berlinwallescapes.com/escapes/spree-reichstag-swimmer-1965/ (accessed [date]).
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