Günter Wiedenhöft
Günter Wiedenhöft (born February 14, 1942 in Berlin ; † December 5 or December 6, 1962 in Potsdam ) was a victim of the Berlin Wall . He drowned while trying to escape from the GDR .
Life
He grew up in a children's home until he was six, then his mother took him back in. From then on he lived in Berlin-Treptow. After graduating from school in eighth grade, he completed an apprenticeship as an electrician. He then continued to work in his training company.
On October 11, 1962, he was arrested in Treptow while spying on the border with West Berlin. During interrogation by the People's Police, he admitted that he had prepared his escape. As reasons he gave family quarrels and the imminent draft to the National People's Army. Those around him knew nothing of his plans. After the trial on November 27, 1962, the city district court of Treptow sentenced him to eight months' imprisonment for attempted " escape from the republic ". Since he gave his understanding in court, he was allowed to remain in freedom until the beginning of the sentence.
Günter Wiedenhöft made a second escape attempt, for which he went to Potsdam on December 5th. There he went to the bank of the Griebnitzsee and severed the three barbed wire fences that were erected to secure the border area. In the middle of the frozen lake, the border troops kept a fairway clear to prevent escapes. Around midnight, two border guards heard noises from the ice, which led them to conclude that they were trying to escape. Without seeing a fugitive, they called him to turn back and fired about 40 shots. Alerted by the shots, police officers on the West Berlin side of the lake assumed an escape attempt, but could not find any fugitive. During a search on the bank, GDR border guards came across Günter Wiedenhöft's coat, scarf and pincers.
Border soldiers found Günter Wiedenhöft's body on March 25, 1963 in Babelsberger Enge. Papers were found on the corpse, which had no gunshot wounds, which identified him as Günter Wiedenhöft. Günter Wiedenhöft's mother also recognized the coat and scarf. The exact date of death could not be determined. Günter Wiedenhöft's wristwatch stopped at 0.14 a.m. In the report of the West Berlin police, the shots were recorded for the period from 12.00 a.m. to 12.00 a.m. on December 6th.
literature
- Christine Brecht : Günter Wiedenhöft , in: The victims of the Berlin Wall 1961–1989 , Berlin 2009, pp. 120–122.
Web links
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Wiedenhöft, Günter |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | German casualty from the Berlin Wall |
| DATE OF BIRTH | February 14, 1942 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Berlin |
| DATE OF DEATH | December 5, 1962 or December 6, 1962 |
| Place of death | Potsdam |