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64 years of building the Wall: Schwerin remembers the victims who strived for freedom
On August 13, 2025, Schwerin will remember the victims of the Wall and reflect on the price of freedom in the shadow of German division.
64 years of building the Wall: Schwerin remembers the victims who strived for freedom
On August 13, 2025, many people in Schwerin commemorated the building of the Wall, which marked a deep turning point in German history 64 years ago. At the wreath-laying ceremony on Demmlerplatz, Vice Mayor Cordula Manow (Left) emphasized the tireless desire of many for freedom, which many people paid for with their lives. This memorial event also attracted Ombudsman Christian Frenzel and representatives of several city factions, all of whom had a common goal: to remember the victims of the GDR border regime.
The importance of this commemoration is also underlined by the words of Jochen Schmidt, the director of the State Center for Civic Education. He highlighted the dramatic impact that the construction of the Wall had on the lives of families and friends. The emotional burden that resulted from the closure of the inner-German border remains noticeable to this day. A plaque at the entrance to the regional court on Demmlerplatz commemorates the victims of communist tyranny and should always remind us of the preciousness of democracy and freedom.
A dark chapter in history
The numbers speak for themselves. According to extensive research into the deaths of the GDR border regime, published in a biographical handbook in 2017, 327 life stories of people who lost their lives in connection with the border regime are documented. This shocking record includes:
- 238 Todesfälle im innerdeutschen Grenzgebiet
- 25 im Dienst getötete DDR-Grenzbeamte
- 21 Todesfälle aufgrund des Grenzregimes
- 43 Selbsttötungen von Grenzpolizisten und Grenzsoldaten
Most of these deaths were caused by gunfire from Soviet border patrols, the GDR border police and NVA border troops. The list of tragedies goes back a long way: the first documented death after the founding of the GDR is one of the darkest moments and occurred on October 16, 1949.
From “small border traffic” to the wall
Until the Wall was built, some traffic between East and West Germany was possible. However, this so-called “small border traffic” was considered illegal by the GDR. Between 1946 and 1947, around 146,872 “illegal border crossings” were recorded. From 1955 onwards, border security was the sole responsibility of the German Border Police, and the opportunities for GDR citizens to flee safely to the West ended suddenly with the construction of the Wall.
From 1961 to 1989, over 40,000 people managed to cross the border, while 3,000 to 4,000 attempts to escape were thwarted every year. The physical and psychological strain on the border guards was enormous. This led, among other things, to documented suicides, which often resulted from pressure and instructions justifying the use of firearms against refugees.
The last documented fatality due to the use of firearms on the GDR's western border occurred on January 25, 1984. This means that the history of the Wall, which tore families apart and drove thousands to their deaths, remains an important topic in our culture of remembrance to this day. This is also highlighted by extensive research that continues to view the circumstances and deaths in the context of the border regime as an open field.
Nordkurier reports about the memorial day in Schwerin and the important speeches that were given on it. For more information visit the website Federal Agency for Civic Education a valuable resource that offers deeper insights into the deaths of the GDR border regime.