Refugee flows and escape attempts Escape attempts and victims of the inner German border

between 1945 , 1988, around 4 million east germans migrated west. 3.454 million of them left between 1945 , construction of berlin wall in 1961. great majority walked across border or, after 1952, exited through west berlin. after border fortified , berlin wall constructed, number of illegal border crossings fell drastically. numbers fell further border defenses improved on subsequent decades. in 1961, 8,507 people fled across border, of them through west berlin. construction of berlin wall year reduced number of escapees 75% around 2,300 per annum rest of decade. wall changed berlin being 1 of easiest places cross border, east, being 1 of difficult. number of escapees fell further 868 per annum during 1970s , 334 per annum between 1980 , 1988. however, escapees never more small minority of total number of emigrants east germany. far more people left country after being granted official permits, fleeing through third countries or being ransomed west german government. during 1980s, 1% of left east germany did escaping across border.

escapees had various motives attempting flee east germany. vast majority had economic motive: wished improve living conditions , opportunities in west. fled political reasons, many impelled leave specific social , political events. imposition of collective agriculture , crushing of 1953 east german uprising prompted thousands flee west, did further coercive economic restructuring in 1960. thousands of fled did escape clearance of villages along border. 1980s, number of escape attempts rising again east germany s economy stagnated , living conditions deteriorated.

attempts flee across border studied , recorded east german authorities identify possible weak points. these addressed strengthening fortifications in vulnerable areas. east german army (nva) , ministry state security (stasi) carried out statistical surveys identify trends. in 1 example, study carried out nva @ end of 1970s review attempted border breaches (grenzdurchbrüche). found 4,956 people had attempted escape across border between 1 january 1974 , 30 november 1979. of those, 3,984 people (80.4%) arrested people s police in sperrzone, outer restricted zone. 205 people (4.1%) caught @ signal fence. within inner security zone, schutzstreifen, further 743 people (15%) arrested border guards. 48 people (1%) stopped – i.e. killed or injured – landmines , 43 people (0.9%) sm-70 directional mines on border fence. further 67 people (1.35%) intercepted @ border fence (shot and/or arrested). study highlighted effectiveness of sm-70 means of stopping people getting across fence. total of 229 people – 4.6% of attempted escapees, representing less 1 in twenty – made across border fence. of these, largest number (129, or 55% of successful escapees) succeeded in making across fence in unmined sectors. 89 people (39% of escapees) managed cross both minefields , border fence, 12 people (6% of total) succeeded in getting past sm-70s.

escape attempts severely punished east german state. 1953, regime described act of escaping republikflucht (literally flight republic ), analogy existing military term fahnenflucht ( desertion ). successful escapee not flüchtling ( refugee ) republikflüchtiger ( republic-deserter ). attempted escape called sperrbrecher (literally blockade runners more loosely translated border violators ). helped escapees not fluchthelfer ( escape helpers ), western term, menschenhändler ( human traffickers ). such ideologically coloured language enabled regime portray border crossers little better traitors , criminals. east german propaganda booklet published in 1955 outlined official view of escapees:

both moral standpoint in terms of interests of whole german nation, leaving gdr act of political , moral backwardness , depravity.

those let recruited objectively serve west german reaction , militarism, whether know or not. not despicable when sake of few alluring job offers or other false promises guaranteed future 1 leaves country in seed new , more beautiful life sprouting, , showing first fruits, place favors new war , destruction?

is not act of political depravity when citizens, whether young people, workers, or members of intelligentsia, leave , betray our people have created through common labor in our republic offer american or british secret services or work west german factory owners, junkers, or militarists? not leaving land of progress morass of historically outdated social order demonstrate political backwardness , blindness? ...

[w]orkers throughout germany demand punishment today leave german democratic republic, strong bastion of fight peace, serve deadly enemy of german people, imperialists , militarists.

republikflucht became crime in 1957, punishable heavy fines , 3 years imprisonment. act associated escape attempt subject legislation. caught in act tried espionage , given proportionately harsher sentences. more 75,000 people – average of more 7 people day – imprisoned attempting escape across border, serving average of 1 2 years imprisonment. border guards attempted escape treated more harshly , on average imprisoned 5 years. helped escapees subject punishment, facing prison terms or deportation internal exile in faraway towns. 50,000 east germans suffered fate between 1952 , 1989.