When Anni M. returned from vacation on September 27, 1961, the evacuation of the border houses had already begun. She decided to flee that very day. Late in the evening a neighbor heard suspicious sounding noises and notified the border guards. When they broke open the apartment door, they found a rope hanging from the window that was wrapped around the sofa. At around 9 p.m., Anni M. had taken her valuables and escaped down the rope to the pavement on the west side.