18 August 1964 – 20 August 1964 · Over the wall
Wernhard Mispelhorn shot at the Schönholz allotments
Eighteen-year-old Wernhard Mispelhorn, whose girlfriend had just moved to West Berlin, suddenly ran for the fence at the Schönholz allotments and was shot in the head.
Wernhard Mispelhorn, born in Berlin on 10 November 1945, grew up in Buchholz and worked as a fitter. Like many of his friends he listened to AFN and liked Western cars. Shortly before August 1964 his girlfriend had been allowed to move to West Berlin, and he told his brother he wanted to follow her over the barriers.
On the evening of 17 August 1964 he drank with two friends in Prenzlauer Berg. They later said they went to the Schönholz allotments, rumoured to be an easy crossing point, only to have a look: they lifted the rear fence so he could crawl through and see the strip, and were taken by surprise when he stood up and ran.
Shortly after midnight two border soldiers on an extra patrol in the hinterland fired after him until he collapsed just before the border fence. His friends fled in panic when they heard the shots.
Hit in the head, he died two days later in the People's Police hospital. His mother was forced to keep silent, and the death notice spoke of an accident.
Sources
- Mispelhorn, WernhardChronik der Mauer
- Dokumentation: Sie starben an der Berliner MauerDer Tagesspiegel
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