Information panel outlining the August 1961 escape to the West of Horst K. from 10a Bernauer Strasse, Berlin Wall Memorial
This German-English information panel outlines the escape to the West of Horst K. from 10a Bernauer Strasse in August 1961. The English translation reads: The buildings on Bernauer Strasse that stood on the border line offered many residents, as well as strangers to the area, a way to escape. The K. family lived at Bernauer Strasse 10a. Horst K. had worked in the West until August 13, 1961. After that he had to take a poorly paid job in East Berlin. On September 22, when Horst K. was conscripted into the East German police force, he got into an argument with the party secretary, during which he became violent. When he arrived home shortly after midnight, the secret police had already begun looking for him. He went to a neighbour, Heinz R., who lived in building 13a. He jumped from the second storey of the building into a rescue of the West Berlin Fire Brigade. After his escape his wife was forced to move out of her apartment. On September 30, she also paid a visit to Heinz R. Guards standing on Strelitzer Strasse let her pass because her identity card still documented her address at Bernauer Strasse. She jumped out of the window with her child to join her husband.' The newspaper photographs show Horst K. both after his escape and jumping into the firemen's rescue net.
Size: 2516px × 5400px
Location: 'Horst K.' escapee information panel, Berlin Wall Memorial, Bernauer Strasse, Berlin, Germany
Photo credit: © robert harrison / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., berlin, bernauer, border, cold, die, escapees, escaping, family, fluchtbewegung, german-english, germany, historic, history, horst, information, language, memorial, monochrome, multi-lingual, panel, photographs, strasse, wall, war, west
