Ida Siekmann
Encyclopedia
Ida Siekmann was the first person to die at the Berlin Wall
.
near Marienwerder (West Prussia
) (now Górki, Kwidzyn County, Poland). She had moved to Berlin
and lived at 48 Bernauer Strasse in the center of Berlin
.
After World War II
, Berlin was divided in four Allied sectors. While the street and the sidewalk of the Bernauer Strasse lay in the French sector of West Berlin
, the frontage of the buildings on the southern side lay in the Soviet sector of East Berlin
. Until 13 August 1961, the day the Berlin Wall
was built, Siekmann crossed the sector’s border just by leaving her house.
Immediately after the border between East and West Berlin was closed on 13 August 1961, 50 households at the Bernauer Strasse fled to the West. On 18 August 1961, Walter Ulbricht
ordered the East German border troops
to brick up the entrances and windows on the groundfloor of the houses on the southern side of the street. Members of the 'Combat Groups of the Working Class
' and police
controlled every person who tried to enter the houses and the residents were subject to rigid controls, even in the hallways. Many residents of such tenements still fled to West Berlin: residents of the upper floors were often rescued by jumping-sheets of the West Berlin fire department.
On 21 August, the entrance and windows of 48 Bernauer Strasse were barred. In the early morning of 22 August, Siekmann, living on the third floor, threw eiderdowns and some possessions down onto the street and jumped out of the window of her apartment before the firefighters were able to open the jumping-sheet. She fell on the sidewalk and was severely injured. Siekmann died shortly after on her way to the Lazarus Hospital, thus becoming the first casualty at the Berlin Wall.
Siekmann was buried at the Seestraße cemetery on 29 August; in September a memorial was erected at 48 Bernauer Strasse. The memorial was often visited by foreign politicians (including Robert Kennedy and Archbishop Makarios
) to honour the victims of the Berlin Wall.
The houses at the southern Bernauer Strasse were torn down in 1963 and replaced by a concrete wall.
Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall was a barrier constructed by the German Democratic Republic starting on 13 August 1961, that completely cut off West Berlin from surrounding East Germany and from East Berlin...
.
Biography
Ida Siekmann was born in GorkenGórki, Kwidzyn County
Górki is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Kwidzyn, within Kwidzyn County, Pomeranian Voivodeship, in northern Poland. It lies approximately east of Kwidzyn and south of the regional capital Gdańsk....
near Marienwerder (West Prussia
West Prussia
West Prussia was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia from 1773–1824 and 1878–1919/20 which was created out of the earlier Polish province of Royal Prussia...
) (now Górki, Kwidzyn County, Poland). She had moved to Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
and lived at 48 Bernauer Strasse in the center of Berlin
Mitte
Mitte is the first and most central borough of Berlin. It was created in Berlin's 2001 administrative reform by the merger of the former districts of Mitte proper, Tiergarten and Wedding; the resulting borough retained the name Mitte. It is one of the two boroughs which comprises former West and...
.
After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Berlin was divided in four Allied sectors. While the street and the sidewalk of the Bernauer Strasse lay in the French sector of West Berlin
West Berlin
West Berlin was a political exclave that existed between 1949 and 1990. It comprised the western regions of Berlin, which were bordered by East Berlin and parts of East Germany. West Berlin consisted of the American, British, and French occupation sectors, which had been established in 1945...
, the frontage of the buildings on the southern side lay in the Soviet sector of East Berlin
East Berlin
East Berlin was the name given to the eastern part of Berlin between 1949 and 1990. It consisted of the Soviet sector of Berlin that was established in 1945. The American, British and French sectors became West Berlin, a part strongly associated with West Germany but a free city...
. Until 13 August 1961, the day the Berlin Wall
Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall was a barrier constructed by the German Democratic Republic starting on 13 August 1961, that completely cut off West Berlin from surrounding East Germany and from East Berlin...
was built, Siekmann crossed the sector’s border just by leaving her house.
Immediately after the border between East and West Berlin was closed on 13 August 1961, 50 households at the Bernauer Strasse fled to the West. On 18 August 1961, Walter Ulbricht
Walter Ulbricht
Walter Ulbricht was a German communist politician. As First Secretary of the Socialist Unity Party from 1950 to 1971 , he played a leading role in the creation of the Weimar-era Communist Party of Germany and later in the early development and...
ordered the East German border troops
Border Troops of the German Democratic Republic
The Border Troops of the German Democratic Republic, in German Grenztruppen der DDR, were a military force of the GDR and the primary force guarding the Berlin Wall and the border between East and West Germany. The Border Troops numbered at their peak approximately 47,000 troops...
to brick up the entrances and windows on the groundfloor of the houses on the southern side of the street. Members of the 'Combat Groups of the Working Class
Combat Groups of the Working Class
The Combat Groups of the Working Class was a paramilitary organization in East Germany, founded in 1953 and abolished in 1990. It numbered about 400,000 volunteers for much of its existence.-History:...
' and police
Volkspolizei
The Volkspolizei , or VP, were the national police of the German Democratic Republic . The Volkspolizei were responsible for most law enforcement in East Germany, but its organisation and structure were such that it could be considered a paramilitary force as well...
controlled every person who tried to enter the houses and the residents were subject to rigid controls, even in the hallways. Many residents of such tenements still fled to West Berlin: residents of the upper floors were often rescued by jumping-sheets of the West Berlin fire department.
On 21 August, the entrance and windows of 48 Bernauer Strasse were barred. In the early morning of 22 August, Siekmann, living on the third floor, threw eiderdowns and some possessions down onto the street and jumped out of the window of her apartment before the firefighters were able to open the jumping-sheet. She fell on the sidewalk and was severely injured. Siekmann died shortly after on her way to the Lazarus Hospital, thus becoming the first casualty at the Berlin Wall.
Siekmann was buried at the Seestraße cemetery on 29 August; in September a memorial was erected at 48 Bernauer Strasse. The memorial was often visited by foreign politicians (including Robert Kennedy and Archbishop Makarios
Makarios III
Makarios III , born Andreas Christodolou Mouskos , was the archbishop and primate of the autocephalous Cypriot Orthodox Church and the first President of the Republic of Cyprus ....
) to honour the victims of the Berlin Wall.
The houses at the southern Bernauer Strasse were torn down in 1963 and replaced by a concrete wall.