Info Panel at the Memorial Site for Peter Fechter

The horrific circumstances of his death made Peter Fechter an especially strong symbol of the victims of the Berlin Wall. The History Mile info board on Zimmerstrasse in Kreuzberg describes Fechter’s failed attempt to escape.

Information on another escape attempt can be found further down the street to the east. In the summer of 1962, a tunnel that led from under an empty lot in West Berlin to a house in East Berlin (Zimmerstrasse 56) was built underneath the Wall. A man who had escaped from the GDR wanted to get his family out, too. Although the attempt was a success, he ended up shooting a 20-year-old member of the GDR border troops, Reinhold Huhn, who had tried to stop the fugitives. In the summer of 2000, Germany’s Supreme Court gave him a suspended sentence of one year in prison for murder, rejecting the argument of self-defense.

Locations:
Corner of Zimmerstrasse and Charlottenstrasse
Zimmerstrasse, near Jerusalemer Strasse

Map of Memorial Sites

The Berlin Wall has disappeared from the cityscape. This map highlights places in today’s urban landscape that serve as reminders of the Berlin Wall. These include memorial sites, informational panels, exhibitions, and artworks. The map provides insight into historical events, personal stories, and the varying forms of expression within the culture of remembrance.