Johann Dick
Encyclopedia
Johann Dick was a citizen of West Germany
who was shot and killed on the Czechoslovakia
n border by soldiers from Czechoslovakian Border Guard (Pohraniční stráž).
Johann Dick lived in Bavaria
, and was a former soldier. In his retirement, his hobby was taking tours around the Bavarian border. On September 18, 1986, two Poles attempted to escape from Czechoslovakia into West Germany through the area where Dick was walking (one of the Poles succeeded). Eight guards, who were hunting the escapees, run into Dick, started to fire and wounded him fatally. Later, the guards found out that they had stepped 200 meters into Bavaria, and that the person they had shot was someone else. They dragged Dick into Czechoslovakia, where he died during transport to the hospital.
The incident grew into an international scandal. Czechoslovakia first claimed that Dick had crossed the border and that he was shot by Germans, but the evidence confuted that claim. The President of Czechoslovakia, Gustav Husák
, apologized, Dick's widow was given compensation of 100,000 German marks and the guards were punished, though very leniently (14 days in prison was the longest).
In 2001, the case was reopened. The three accused soldiers were eventually let free as it was impossible to prove exactly who had shot the tourist.
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
who was shot and killed on the Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
n border by soldiers from Czechoslovakian Border Guard (Pohraniční stráž).
Johann Dick lived in Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
, and was a former soldier. In his retirement, his hobby was taking tours around the Bavarian border. On September 18, 1986, two Poles attempted to escape from Czechoslovakia into West Germany through the area where Dick was walking (one of the Poles succeeded). Eight guards, who were hunting the escapees, run into Dick, started to fire and wounded him fatally. Later, the guards found out that they had stepped 200 meters into Bavaria, and that the person they had shot was someone else. They dragged Dick into Czechoslovakia, where he died during transport to the hospital.
The incident grew into an international scandal. Czechoslovakia first claimed that Dick had crossed the border and that he was shot by Germans, but the evidence confuted that claim. The President of Czechoslovakia, Gustav Husák
Gustáv Husák
Gustáv Husák was a Slovak politician, president of Czechoslovakia and a long-term Communist leader of Czechoslovakia and of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia...
, apologized, Dick's widow was given compensation of 100,000 German marks and the guards were punished, though very leniently (14 days in prison was the longest).
In 2001, the case was reopened. The three accused soldiers were eventually let free as it was impossible to prove exactly who had shot the tourist.
External links
- Short overview of the event (in Czech)
- More detailed description (in Czech)