16th September 1979: Two families escape from East Germany in a homemade hot air balloon

Описание: The oppressive conditions in East Germany under the Communist regime prompted the Strelzyk and Wetzel families to find a way to escape to the west. The border was heavily fortified, and even making preparations to escape was risky due to the vigilance of the East German government’s secret police, the Stasi.

Peter Strelzyk and Günter Wetzel, who had expertise in mechanics and construction, worked for nearly a year and a half to construct a balloon capable of carrying their families of four adults and four children. After a failed attempt using cotton cloth, they upgraded to a synthetic fabric that was less porous and so better able to hold the hot air. Meanwhile a burner was developed from household bottles of liquid propane connected to a series of hoses and a stove pipe.

A first escape attempt on 3 July 1979 saw the balloon land short of the border, resulting in a panicked retreat and the need to rebuild all the equipment they had been forced to abandon. Eventually, in the early hours of 16 September 1979, the families launched again from a secluded area near the town of Oberlemnitz, in Thuringia. This flight lasted for approximately 28 minutes, covering a distance of about 18 kilometers and reaching an altitude of 2,000 meters.

The balloon landed near the Bavarian town of Naila, where the families quickly sought help from local residents. Upon confirming that they had indeed crossed the border, the families were welcomed by West German officials and granted asylum. The escape attracted widespread media attention, and was seen as a significant embarrassment to the East German government.