Throughout the Berlin Wall’s 28 year long history, numerous escape attempts were made. Some were simple as just scaling the wall but as the wall became more complex, people became more creative with escapes. Here are 8 of the craziest escape attempts.
1. As an Eastern German border guard
The most famous escape made by a guard was by 19-year old guard, Conrad Schumann on August 15, 1961. The wall was only but two days ago and was still just barded wire. So, Schumann jumped over the wire, dropping his machine gun along the way and was quickly driven away by West Berlin police. The photographer,Peter Leibing, luckily captured this leap to freedom and the photo became an iconic symbol of freedom.
2. In an Underground Tunnel
Many tunnels were made, but only very few were successful. Over two nights in October 1964, 57 people escaped to West Berlin, becoming the largest mass escape in Berlin Wall history. The tunnel, known now as "Tunnel 57", was dug by a group of young men mostly university students.
3. In a Stolen Armored Car
This escape was more unplanned than others. In 1963, April 16th, an Eastern German border guards named Wolfgang Engels stole
an East German armored car and tried to smash his way to freedom. The tank did fail to break through the wall, Engels claimed on top of the tank and attempted to climb over the wall but got stuck on barbed wire and was shot twice by border guards. Eventually people from West Berlin helped him off the wall and took to a bar where they were drinking.
an East German armored car and tried to smash his way to freedom. The tank did fail to break through the wall, Engels claimed on top of the tank and attempted to climb over the wall but got stuck on barbed wire and was shot twice by border guards. Eventually people from West Berlin helped him off the wall and took to a bar where they were drinking.
4. In an Air Mattress
North of the Berlin, was the Elbe river. 21 year-old Ingo Bethke decided to take this as an advantage. During the night of May 22, 1975, Bethke and a friend maneuvered through a metal fence, across a mine field and over trip until they made it to the river. They blew up the mattress and silently paddled through the river into West Germany, unnoticed by guards in the night
5. Down a Zip Line
Once Ingo escaped, his next mission was to help his younger brother, Holger Bethke out of East Berlin. This more daring attempt was executed in March 1983. Acting as electricians Holger and a friend climbed a building that overlooked West Berlin with steel cables and wires that help disguised the bow and arrow. Through an attic window, Holger fired the arrow attached to a cable with over the wall where Ingo was waiting and attached it to the chimney of building on the Western side. The pair zip lined down the cable using wooden pulleys.
6. In Fake Soviet Planes
The Bethke brothers weren't done yet. Youngest brother, Egbert Bethke was the last one still in East Berlin. Ingo learned how to fly a plane and then taught Holger and devised a plane to fly Egbert out of East Berlin. On May 26, 1989, the brothers dressed as Soviet Union pilots and painted two planes with red stars similar to the Soviet Union flag and flew right over the wall, picked up Egbert and flew back to West Berlin without getting caught by guards.
7. In Hot Air Balloons
This daring escape was executed by aircraft mechanic, Hans Peter Strelczyk and friend, Gunter Wetzel. Strelczyk and Wetzel used old propane cylinders to build the engine while their wives helped stitched old bedsheets to create the balloon. On September 16, 1979, the ballon was ready to fly. The two families including the wives and their four children flew over the wall and landed in a bush in West Berlin.
8. On a tightrope
East German trapeze artist, Horst Klein decided use skills to escape. In early 1963, Horst Klein climbed onto an unused high-tension cable that suspended 60ft over the wall. Due to the cold, Klein hands grew numb and he fell of the cable and broke both arms but he had landed in West Berlin.