Dietmar Schwietzer
Dietmar Schwietzer (born February 21, 1958 in Magdeburg , † February 16, 1977 in Schönwalde ) was a victim of the Berlin Wall . While trying to escape, he was shot dead by members of the GDR border troops .
Life
He and his sister grew up with their parents in Magdeburg. He developed a technical interest and tinkered with electronic devices. Among other things, he constructed a radio station with which he could receive amateur radio . He was active both in the pioneer organization Ernst Thälmann and in the Free German Youth . At the Society for Sport and Technology , he participated in the radio sports division . After leaving school, he began training as a telecommunications engineer at Deutsche Post in his hometown. In his private life, undetected by those around him, he maintained worldwide radio amateur connections.
Through his training, the Ministry for State Security (MfS) became aware of him and recruited him for his watch regiment Feliks Dzierzynski as a radio operator. The MfS considered Schwietzer to be adapted. On February 15, 1977, he received his skilled worker certificate and then went to a party at the Interhotel . He left the party after a short time and drove his motorcycle to Hennigsdorf , from where he traveled on by bus to Schönwalde . He crossed the Niederneuendorfer Canal on a bridge and crawled through a field from there to the border system. At around 7 a.m. on the morning of the following day, he climbed over the hinterland fence , passed a dog run and overcame the signal fence. He raised the alarm. While he was running towards the last wall, four border guards attacked him from two watchtowers. Of the 91 shots fired, three bullets hit their target. The border guards dragged the fatally hit fugitive in the back of the head into the car ditch to hide him from view from West Berlin. The use of border guards is praised as an example of good readiness for action and an expedient variant of action . Only the excessive consumption of ammunition is criticized.
The funeral took place on February 23, 1977 in Magdeburg under the supervision of the MfS. Unlike in other cases of victims of the Berlin Wall, relatives were informed about his fate. Dietmar Schwietzer's father submitted the bill for the funeral to SED General Secretary Erich Honecker and demanded that it be paid by his son's murderers. The MfS in Magdeburg then monitored Dietmar Schwietzer's parents and held out the prospect of criminal prosecution. To prevent further attention in the case, the MfS paid the funeral costs. The life insurance was only partially paid out to the parents.
After the end of the GDR, first the Berlin and later the Neuruppin public prosecutor began investigations. In 1995, the public prosecutor brought charges against three of the shooters - the fourth had died in the meantime - before the Potsdam Regional Court . All three defendants received 15 months suspended prison sentences for joint manslaughter .
A memorial stele in memory of Dietmar Schwietzer was inaugurated on the border between Spandau and Schönwalde-Glien to commemorate the Wall on August 13, 2011 . Historical explanations are given on an approx. 3 meter high stele; It shows the conditions at that time on an aerial photo from 1989, the place of the crime is marked. A supplementary board informs about the circumstances of his death; she also carries a photo of the wall sacrifice. The texts are bilingual (German / English).
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| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Schwietzer, Dietmar |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | German casualty from the Berlin Wall |
| DATE OF BIRTH | February 21, 1958 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Magdeburg |
| DATE OF DEATH | February 16, 1977 |
| Place of death | Schönwalde |