1979 East Germany balloon escape

The 1979 East Germany balloon escape was a daring and successful attempt by two families to flee East Germany (the German Democratic Republic, or GDR) to West Germany using a homemade hot air balloon. This remarkable event became one of the most famous escapes from East Germany during the Cold War and symbolized the lengths people would go to achieve freedom from the oppressive communist regime.

Background: Life in East Germany
After World War II, Germany was divided into two countries: West Germany (the Federal Republic of Germany), which was democratic and aligned with the West, and East Germany (the German Democratic Republic), which was a Soviet-controlled, communist state. The GDR restricted its citizens’ ability to travel to the West, and the Berlin Wall was erected in 1961 to prevent East Germans from fleeing.

The East German government imposed strict border controls, and the Stasi (the East German secret police) closely monitored citizens. People who attempted to flee to the West were considered traitors and faced imprisonment or worse if caught. Despite the dangers, many East Germans attempted escapes, using creative and daring methods.

The Families and Their Plan
In 1979, two families—the Strelzyk and Wetzel families—decided to risk their lives to escape East Germany. The two families, totaling eight people, included Peter Strelzyk, his wife Doris, their two children, Günter Wetzel, his wife Petra, and their two children.

The idea to build a hot air balloon came from Günter Wetzel, a mechanic, and Peter Strelzyk, an electrician. Both men realized that a balloon might be able to carry them across the heavily fortified East German border into West Germany. They devised a plan to secretly construct a balloon that could lift their families over the border.

The Construction of the Balloon
The families gathered materials over a period of 18 months, using bits and pieces they could find in shops across East Germany without arousing suspicion. They purchased large amounts of fabric (including nylon and taffeta) and sewed them together at night. They used bedsheets and other textiles for the balloon’s envelope, while propane gas tanks were used to generate the heat needed to lift the balloon. The construction process was fraught with difficulties, including sourcing the right materials and sewing the large fabric pieces in secret without attracting attention from neighbors or the Stasi.

First Attempt
The first attempt to escape was made in July 1979, but it failed. The balloon wasn’t large enough to carry the families across the border, and they were forced to abort the plan when the balloon crashed after only a short flight. They quickly destroyed the remains of the balloon to avoid detection by the authorities.

The Successful Escape
Undeterred by the failure, the families worked to improve their design, constructing a larger and more powerful balloon. On the night of September 15, 1979, with the balloon finally ready, the two families prepared for their second attempt.

Late that night, they launched the balloon near the East German town of Oberlemnitz. The balloon, powered by a homemade burner using propane gas, ascended into the sky, carrying all eight passengers. The flight lasted about 28 minutes and covered a distance of around 18 kilometers (11 miles).

The families endured freezing temperatures and harrowing moments during the flight, but the balloon managed to cross over the heavily guarded border between East and West Germany. They landed in a forest in Bavaria, in West Germany, near the town of Naila. A farmer who encountered them quickly alerted the West German authorities, who confirmed that the families had successfully escaped from East Germany.

Aftermath and Legacy
The successful escape of the Strelzyk and Wetzel families made international headlines, and they became symbols of courage and the desire for freedom. The East German government, humiliated by the escape, launched an investigation and increased border security in an attempt to prevent similar escapes. However, despite efforts by the Stasi to find out how the escape was engineered, the families were safe in the West.

The families were welcomed as heroes in West Germany, and their escape was celebrated as a victory over the repressive East German regime. Both families settled in West Germany, where they were given financial support and citizenship.

The story was later adapted into books, documentaries, and a 1982 Disney movie called “Night Crossing”, which dramatized the escape. The balloon used in the escape is now on display in the Berlin Wall Museum at Checkpoint Charlie, serving as a powerful reminder of the lengths to which people went to achieve freedom during the Cold War.

After the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and the reunification of Germany in 1990, the Strelzyks and Wetzels were able to return to East Germany, though they chose to continue living in the West.

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