Are there documented cases of people trying to scale The Berlin Wall from the west to the east?

star_gazer

None that I could find. A visitor from West Berlin to East Berlin would be a fool to risk arrest doing such a thing when there were more simple and legal ways to get to the other side. West Germans and citizens of other Western countries could in general visit East Germany. Usually this involved application of a visa at an East German embassy several weeks in advance. Visas for day trips restricted to East Berlin were issued without previous application in a simplified procedure at the border crossing. However, East German authorities could refuse entry permits without stating a reason. In the 1980s, visitors from the western part of the city who wanted to visit the eastern part had to exchange at least DM 25 into East German currency at the poor exchange rate of 1:1. It was forbidden to export East German currency out of the East, but money not spent could be left at the border for possible future visits. Tourists crossing from the west had to also pay for a visa, which cost DM 5; West Berliners did not have to pay this. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berlin_Wall Nov 11 09, 6:30 AM

merlin321

Yes,in 1980 a resident of West Berlin tried to scale the wall. http://www.texas-quality.org/SiteImages/125/Body%20of%20Knowledge%20(BOK)/Employee%20Engagement%20-%20The%20Berlin%20Wall%20Model.pdf Nov 11 09, 6:34 AM

queproblema

"Many East Germans died tragically trying to cross the Berlin Wall to escape to freedom in the west. Virtually unknown is the bizarre reverse phenomenon - the hundreds of 'Wall Jumpers' who risked all to flee from West to East." There follow a number of stories, including drunk, disoriented, mentally ill, or politically motivated individuals like the American peacenik, John Runnings. http://www.nrc.nl/international/article2409702.ece/Forgotten_by_history_the_ones_who_fled_from_West_to_East http://www.armourtech.com/diduck/ Nov 11 09, 11:46 PM