C 392

The D. family fled to the West from their first­floor apartment at Bernauer Straße 23 on October 16, 1961. The decision to flee and the escape plans had been made long in advance. When the border guards broke into the apartment after the escape, they found that “all valuables and clothes of value” were missing. At around 12:30 p.m. a truck had pulled up in front of the house and the couple and their 15­-year­-old son jumped onto its tarp. They were joined by another couple, friends who had already been evicted from their apartment on Swinemuender Straße.