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The Berlin Wall
This was a daring plan involving a homemade hot air balloon. Four friends living inside of East Germany, attempt to float over the infamous Berlin Wall of East Germany, and then to freedom during the Cold War era.
They were Eric, Hans, Heidi and Helga.
Eric and Heidi Schmidt is a married couple that share a common dream with their dear friends, Hans and Helga Addleman.
They are all determined to escape the horror of East Berlin. "No matter what!" Erected on the 13th of August 1961, The Wall divided Berlin for 28 years during the Cold War and claimed the lives of, as official records currently state, 140 people, until its fall on the 9th November 1989.
What started as a ramshackle border fence, comprising mostly of barbed wire and concrete posts, would be continually expanded into a 157-kilometre long fortress consisting of two walls with an armoured
'no-man’s-land.'
Called, 'The Death Strip.'
Unlike the no-mans land of the First World War, the control zone of the Berlin Wall was entirely in the territory of one power.
– East Germany – a country determined to stop the endless flow of desperate citizens escaping West across its borders – using lethal force if necessary.
Those East Germans who attempted to cross The Wall were risking their lives to do so. And as the fortifications became higher and broader, so did the methods of escape employed to best the barrier become more daring and creative.
Eric, Hans, Heidi, and Helga were four friends living in East Berlin who were determined to escape to the West. They had grown tired of the oppressive regime and the lack of freedom.
They dreamed of starting a new life where they could have much greater opportunities and to live without fear.
Eric started to do research on hot air balloons.
He learned about the different types of balloons, but he knew he needed the raw materials to build one, and the skills required to fly one. He decided to visit a library in East Berlin, where he found some books on hot air balloons.
He borrowed them and took them home, hiding them under his coat. He studied them carefully, taking notes and making sketches.
And then learned that he would need a large envelope made of nylon or polyester, a basket or gondola, a burner, a fuel tank, and some ropes and cables.
He also learned how to control the hot air balloon's altitude and direction by adjusting the temperature of the air down inside the envelope. He shared his findings with Hans and Helga, who agreed to help him with the project.
They also recruited Heidi, Eric's wife, who was also eager to escape. They knew they had to be very careful and secretive, as they could be arrested or shot if they were caught.
They also knew they had to work fast, as they did not know how long the Wall would stand.
Deciding to use their own money and savings to buy the materials they needed.
They had also scavenged some items from junkyards and abandoned buildings. They hid their various purchases and things in their basements, attics, and closets.
Eric... "Did you guys know that on December 5th,1961, at the german Albrechtshof border station. A twenty seven year man called Harry Dieterling was an engine driver who was bound and determined to escape."
He escaped...
They were Eric, Hans, Heidi and Helga.
Eric and Heidi Schmidt is a married couple that share a common dream with their dear friends, Hans and Helga Addleman.
They are all determined to escape the horror of East Berlin. "No matter what!" Erected on the 13th of August 1961, The Wall divided Berlin for 28 years during the Cold War and claimed the lives of, as official records currently state, 140 people, until its fall on the 9th November 1989.
What started as a ramshackle border fence, comprising mostly of barbed wire and concrete posts, would be continually expanded into a 157-kilometre long fortress consisting of two walls with an armoured
'no-man’s-land.'
Called, 'The Death Strip.'
Unlike the no-mans land of the First World War, the control zone of the Berlin Wall was entirely in the territory of one power.
– East Germany – a country determined to stop the endless flow of desperate citizens escaping West across its borders – using lethal force if necessary.
Those East Germans who attempted to cross The Wall were risking their lives to do so. And as the fortifications became higher and broader, so did the methods of escape employed to best the barrier become more daring and creative.
Eric, Hans, Heidi, and Helga were four friends living in East Berlin who were determined to escape to the West. They had grown tired of the oppressive regime and the lack of freedom.
They dreamed of starting a new life where they could have much greater opportunities and to live without fear.
Eric started to do research on hot air balloons.
He learned about the different types of balloons, but he knew he needed the raw materials to build one, and the skills required to fly one. He decided to visit a library in East Berlin, where he found some books on hot air balloons.
He borrowed them and took them home, hiding them under his coat. He studied them carefully, taking notes and making sketches.
And then learned that he would need a large envelope made of nylon or polyester, a basket or gondola, a burner, a fuel tank, and some ropes and cables.
He also learned how to control the hot air balloon's altitude and direction by adjusting the temperature of the air down inside the envelope. He shared his findings with Hans and Helga, who agreed to help him with the project.
They also recruited Heidi, Eric's wife, who was also eager to escape. They knew they had to be very careful and secretive, as they could be arrested or shot if they were caught.
They also knew they had to work fast, as they did not know how long the Wall would stand.
Deciding to use their own money and savings to buy the materials they needed.
They had also scavenged some items from junkyards and abandoned buildings. They hid their various purchases and things in their basements, attics, and closets.
Eric... "Did you guys know that on December 5th,1961, at the german Albrechtshof border station. A twenty seven year man called Harry Dieterling was an engine driver who was bound and determined to escape."
He escaped...
