During the Cold war times, getting through the Berlin Wall was very difficult and gloomy at best. Built in 1961, the famous concrete wall separated East Berlin from West Berlin effectively representing the Cold War conflict between communism and democracy. Though it was virtually almost impossible to escape across this highly barricaded enclosure some people were able to perform this incredible feat. Here in this blog, we are going to look at the dangers of trying to escape, the measures taken together with the real-life experiences of those who managed to escape across the Berlin Wall.
Understanding the Challenges
The goal of constructing the Wall was to arrest the tide of East Berlin residents fleeing to the west. Surrounded by concrete walls, barbed wired fences, with watch towers and guarded strictly with armed soldiers NASN was not easy to breach. Punishments were imposed in connection with the consequences of being apprehended, and which sometimes included jail term or even the ultimate price of losing one’s life.
1. Heightened Security
They recruited the support of East German government both in using several securities to make the wall strong. Such measures as searchlights mounted on large watchtowers, alarm systems around the entire perimeter, patrol dogs and armed guards on horses or on the ground were posted to shoot any attempted escapees.
2. Restricted Zones
The Wall provided a periphery: the so-called ‘death strip’, an area on the wall’s along both sides, where people were heavily observed. This strip was marred by the different impediments like trenches, antvehicular devices, and tripwires more made impossible to neutralize the wall without being seen.
Tactics of breaching the so called Berlin Wall
Yet there were risks involved in this; here are some of the features that made it possible for people to succeed in crossing the Berlin Wall. Let’s explore some of them:
1. Tunneling
By far, one of the most daring tactics that involved building a tunnel under the wall was widely practiced by escapees. These were subterranean passages-which were usually constructed with immense care-where people could move from east to west Berlin without notice. Here the most successful such are “Tunnel 57” and “Tunnel 29” through which dozens of people received their freedom.
2. Hot Air Balloons
Some brave carried out literally flew away and use the sky as an escape route. They built hot air balloons and flew over the imposing presence of the wall at an appropriate time before descending to West Berlin.
3. Guises and Disguise
Some people were able to get across the border by using construction worker outfits, soldier uniforms or using effective civilian camouflage. This, by coming up with realistic looking cover stories as well as fake documents, they were able to avoid security screening much of the time.
Notable Escapes
While the majority of escape attempts were unsuccessful and had severe consequences, a few individuals managed to cross the Berlin Wall and find freedom:
1. Peter Fechter
Peter Fechter a young mason try to escape in 1962. Sadly, he was gunned down attempting the escape while scaling the wall, and when he screamed out for assistance, he was allowed to die in the “death strip.” His death became symbolic of conditions which the people trying to escape East Germany had to endure.
2. Holger Bethke
Holger Bethke and his friends luckily came up with an idea of how to escape by building a hot air balloon. Finally, in 1979, they managed to fly through the airspace and to land in West Berlin they had been yearning for their freedom.
3. The Strelzyk Family & The Wetzel Family
In 1979, the Strelzyk and Wetzel families secretly constructed a hot air balloon over the course of several months and with almost no money. Facing many adversities they flew over the Berlin Wall eight people onboard and successfully landed in West Germany and thus motivated others to dream of freedom.
The Fall of the Berlin Wall
For more than 28 years Berlin’s residents faced the concrete barrier of the Wall. However, in 1989, because of protest movements and shift in political climate great cracks began to emerge. When the pressure grew unconquerable, the East German government announced on November 9th, 1989 that the wall would be broken down,___people from both the sides could embrace each other.
Conclusion
The actual structure aptly called the Berlin Wall was an almost impossibility for anyone to overcome in their pursuit of liberty. Crossing this wall was similarly full of great risks and complexities but these were not enough to extinguish man’s sprit for finding ways on how to cross such a wall. Tunnels, hot air balloons, and the Metzingers, Holger Bethkes, and Strelzys/Wetzels showed how awfully people yearned after liberty.
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