Adolf Philipp
Adolf Philipp (born August 13, 1943 in Ziemetshausen ; † May 5, 1964 in Berlin ) was a victim of the Berlin Wall . A member of the GDR border troops shot the West Berliner when he was arrested in an earth bunker in the border area, armed with a gas pistol.
Life
Adolf Philipp was born in Ziemetshausen, Bavaria, as the first of four children. After school, which he graduated with secondary school leaving certificate, he completed an apprenticeship as a radio and television technician in the summer of 1963 - his father ran a radio business. In order to escape military service, he took a job in Berlin-Schöneberg in August 1963 . He moved into a furnished room on Kurfürstendamm . During the early days in Berlin, he attended cultural events, trade fairs and the like. In addition, he developed an interest in the border systems of the Berlin Wall . He rode the border several times on his bike and also entered the no-man's-land between West Berlin and the border installations that were partially set back. He made contact with escape workers and took part in protest rallies. He was angry with friends and family about the border regime. Notes police found in his apartment after his death indicated that he was planning an action without being specific.
On the evening of May 4, 1964, armed with a gas pistol, he rode his bicycle to the border near Berlin-Spandau . Two guards found his footprints and went to the earth bunker to report. They met Adolf Philipp, who threatened them with the pistol. A guard immediately opened fire and fatally hit Adolf Philipp.
The GDR's state news agency, ADN , announced the next morning that a West Berliner attacked border soldiers in the Berlin-Staaken area and died from gunshot wounds. For the time being, this report could not be verified in the West, as there was no evidence of any shots fired in the specified area, and no damage was found at the border installations. The GDR transferred the body of Adolf Philipp to West Berlin on May 6th, which enabled the cause of death to be determined. The funeral took place on May 11, 1964 in his birthplace, which received media attention.
In memory of Adolf Philipp, the Spandau district office erected a wooden cross on August 13, 1964 - the third anniversary of the Berlin Wall - at the place where his bicycle was found not far from the border on Oberjägerweg.
The Berlin public prosecutor's office started investigations against the border guards involved after German reunification. Since these were threatened by Adolf Philipp and could not have known that his weapon could not fire live ammunition, an act of self-defense was assumed.
literature
Hans-Hermann Hertle , Maria Nooke : The victims of the Berlin Wall 1961–1989: a biographical handbook / ed. from the Center for Contemporary History Potsdam and the Berlin Wall Foundation. Links, Berlin 2009, ISBN 978-3-86153-517-1 .
Web links
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Philipp, Adolf |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | German members of the border troops (GDR), victims of the Berlin Wall |
| DATE OF BIRTH | August 13, 1943 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Ziemetshausen |
| DATE OF DEATH | 5th May 1964 |
| Place of death | Berlin |