Escape methods Escape attempts and victims of the inner German border

refugees used variety of methods escape across border. great majority crossed on foot, though took more unusual routes. 1 of spectacular escape in september 1979 of 8 people 2 families in home-made hot-air balloon. flight involved ascent more 2,500 metres (8,200 ft) before landing near west german town of naila, inspiring film night crossing. other escapees relied more on physical strength , endurance. escapee in 1987 used meat hooks scale border fences, while in 1971 doctor swam 45 kilometres (28 mi) across baltic sea rostock danish island of lolland, before picked west german yacht. escapee used air mattress escape across baltic in 1987. mass escapes rare. 1 of few succeeded took place on 2 october 1961, when 53 people border village of böseckendorf – quarter of village s population – escaped en masse, followed 13 inhabitants in february 1963. unusual mass escape occurred in september 1964 when 14 east germans, including eleven children, smuggled across border in refrigerated truck. able escape detection being concealed under carcasses of slaughtered , stuffed pigs being transported west.

those working on or near border able use privileged access , knowledge escape. border guards, presented special dangers, colleagues under orders shoot without warning if escape attempt made. dilemmas faced highlighted in may 1969 defection of soldier , non-commissioned officer (nco) of grenztruppen. when nco made escape, soldier, jürgen lange, decided not shoot him. exposed lange severe punishment superiors disobeying order shoot, lange made own escape ten minutes later. when reached west german side, lange found rifle had been sabotaged nco prevent him firing in first place. soviet soldiers escaped across border, though rare. 8 such defections succeeded between 1953 , 1984.

the traffic not one-way; thousands of people year migrated west germany east germany. east german press described such individuals west zone refugees fleeing political pressure , growing unlawfulness or worsening economic conditions . research carried out west german government found more prosaic reasons, such marital problems, family estrangement , homesickness of had lived in east germany in past. number of allied military personnel, including british, french, german , united states troops, defected. end of cold war, many 300 united states citizens thought have defected across iron curtain variety of reasons – whether escape criminal charges, political reasons or because (as st. petersburg times put it) girl-hungry gi s [were tempted] seductive sirens, desert love-lorn soldier once across border. fate of such defectors varied considerably. sent straight labour camps on charges of espionage. others committed suicide, while few able find wives , work on eastern side of border.