13 August 1961

I am afraid that hell may begin again. Our authorities are provoking the Allies with what
they are doing on the border, with West Berlin. All the services are taking part, from the
regular army to the workers' troops. They are standing on the border, but they are not
defending us, because they have their guns pointed in our direction. It all started last night.
They turned off all the streetlights, probably so that we wouldn't notice anything. This even
worked, but it was hard not to hear the unloaded military carts making their way through the
streets of our town.
My whole family sat down together at the table and began to pray, each already thinking
that this country couldn't last twenty years without war. My mother's hands were shaking
terribly. My younger brother wanted to go out and see what was going on. I managed to stop
the fool because they would take him to the front.
In the morning I decided that I had to go to Clara because I didn't know if it wasn't my last
chance to see her. When I got to the borders it turned out that all the armed forces were
there. They hadn't gone any further. I was a bit relieved. I walked along it to find a place
where I could jump over the barbed wire they had managed to put up during the night.
There was no end in sight in the distance, but I couldn't give up, I had to see her. I was getting
tired, so I leaned against the hardware store window. I looked at the group of soldiers who
were passing me. They looked like an ordinary patrol, but suddenly, they entered a bar to
which you went down a staircase underground, as if to a basement. This made me curious
for a moment, but I didn't have time to stand there any longer, so I moved on after a while.
To my surprise I saw them, but already on the other side in civilian clothes. The soldiers
themselves were fleeing from the Red side of Berlin. This could not end well.
This was an opportunity for me. In an accelerated pace I moved towards the bar, and
descended carefully, down the steep and damp stairs. This was no ordinary bar, there were
old men alone, despite the high proportion of alcohol in their blood, they looked as grim as
the place itself. I approached the counter, a short guy asked what he could help with. He did
so in a voice as if he didn't want to at all. I asked if I could use the aisle to the other side. He
put out a card with a price on it. I pulled out the money and asked if it was a round-trip price.
The man looked at me and asked if I was sure I wanted to go back. I didn't have to explain my
motives to him, I just nodded that I did. He said both ways. He probably hoped that I would
use his services often. You had to give him credit for knowing how to sniff out business. A
young waiter approached and led me to the back door. We walked through a tunnel at the
end of which was another door, and when the waiter opened it with his key it turned out
that there was a twin bar next door. I couldn't ask, but I guessed that through these tunnels
goods were regularly smuggled from West to East Berlin and sold at an inflated price. When I
stepped outside I was already on the West side.
When I got to Clara's house, as usual when I wanted her to come down I sang her favourite
song “Wenn die Soldaten”. Whenever I start singing it to her she leans out of the window
and tells me to stop because her parents will hear. I never understood why they disliked me
so much. This time was no different at all. The most beautiful girl I've ever seen emerged
from the window, with beautiful blonde curly hair, and an amazing smile. She was almost
always smiling, there was always happiness beaming from her. She told me to shush, as
usual. She came over to me. She looked angry, but when she leaned out of the window I
could see that she was wearing a red T-shirt and was now in a blue dress, meaning she had
dressed up especially for me.
We talked about what was happening at the border, but it wasn't the most important thing
at the time. I invited her for a walk. We were in many parks and in each we tried different
food. I only walked her back in the evening. Maybe that's why her parents didn't like me so
much. In the end, she asked me to stay. Stayed on this side of the border. I didn't answer her
because I didn't know what to answer. I hugged her drowning my hand in her lush and
flower-scented hair. I walked back to East Berlin, the same way I did before.
My parents didn't want to hear about trying to cross, and at first, neither did my brother, but
in the end, we decided that we had to do it together. East Berlin did not offer a better future
for my brother, and for me. It meant separation from Clara. There were rumours that they
wanted to build a wall around West Berlin, so we had to hurry.

14 August 1961
Dear Clara,
tomorrow Jürgen and I are planning to escape to the other side. Unfortunately, the
fortifications have strengthened and the Bar has been closed by our services. We have to do
it because it will only get harder and the risks are already high. That's why I don't know if we
will succeed. It is possible that yesterday's meeting was the last one. I would like to be with
you now, on the grass in the park. I would like to see your blue eyes and count the freckles on
your face. I am not afraid of death, but I wish I had more moments like this with you.
Tomorrow when we meet though, I will not waste our time, I will make the most of it.
However, if I don’t survive, I want you to know that the time we spent together, despite the
bickering, was the happiest time of my life, and I will not regret it even for a moment.
Remember my Clara, I love you.

15 August 1961 Case Sb/14/08/61/DCA356 Senior Staff Aspirant of the East Berlin Police No.
3

Evidence in the case of two fugitives Ben Meyer and Jürgen Meyer.

18 July 2022
Sometimes amazing moments happen in our lives that make you start to wonder if
God has put his hands in it. The fact that I have the opportunity to describe my day again in
this diary makes me think seriously. You can see, my dear old notebook, the rag of time that
has passed, it has made you tattered and yellowed. The story written here is the most
important story of my life. I'm 82 now, I didn't have the strength to look for it, but it found
me. I guess you are just curious about the end of the story.
Crossing the border was the scariest thing in my life. My brother and I had to crawl in the
dark for 100 feet in muddy bushes. At one point when we were close, one of the soldiers
fired in our direction. He missed, but the second shot was more accurate and reached my
leg. My late brother stood up, risking his life to drag me, but the soldier, fortunately, did not
shoot a third time. Two soldiers from West Berlin ran up to us and helped him, dragging me
to the wagon in which I was later taken to hospital. As you can see, we survived. After that,
life was easier, of course with my dear wife Clara by my side. We had four children: Paul,
Louis, Emma, and Mie. Now I have more happiness in my life and smiles, as they take after
their mother, whose smile is still just as beautiful.
So as you can see my dear diary, you have missed a lot. For many years you had to worry
about ending. Now my life is quiet, I no longer have exciting stories for you, but stay patient.
The end of one story means the beginning of another.