"Tunnel Escapes from the Berlin Wall" at the Brandenburg Gate

A conversation with Joachim Neumann and Hubert Hohlbein, moderated by Nine-Christine Müller

What did the construction of the Wall mean for those who experienced it firsthand? How did they perceive August 13, 1961? And what specific consequences did the Berlin Wall have for them? At the Brandenburg Gate, eyewitnesses share insights into their personal memories—from the first days of the Wall’s construction to the opening of the border in November 1989. Their accounts offer different perspectives on the division of Germany: from a child’s perspective or journalistic observations to experiences of repression in the GDR and stories of escape. These memories make it clear that while the Berlin Wall served a clear political function, it held different meanings for people and shaped their lives in many ways.

In the first few months after the Wall was built, over 50,000 people managed to escape to the West through the barriers that were still under construction. But the rapid, continuous expansion of the border system made escape attempts increasingly difficult. Groups of escape helpers sought new ways to get past the Wall—for example, by going under the border: More than 300 people fled to the West through tunnels. Digging tunnels was a labor-intensive and risky undertaking. In this conversation, the two eyewitnesses, Joachim Neumann and Hubert Hohlbein, recount how they became involved and the challenges they faced during tunnel construction and the escape operations.

Joachim Neumann, born in 1939, graduated from high school in East Berlin and studied civil engineering in Cottbus. With a Swiss passport, he managed to escape to West Berlin shortly before Christmas 1961. There, he continued his studies at the Technical University of Berlin. In West Berlin, Joachim Neumann wanted to help others escape as well. He joined a group of escape aiders and helped build five escape tunnels. “Tunnel 57” on Bernauer Strasse became particularly well-known. In October 1964, a total of 57 people managed to escape to West Berlin through this tunnel—including his girlfriend. For his work as an escape helper, Joachim Neumann was awarded the Federal Cross of Merit in 2012.

Hubert Hohlbein, born in 1942, grew up in the East Berlin district of Adlershof and trained as an electrical engineer. On November 21, 1963, he fled the GDR via Jungfernsee using diving equipment and lived in West Berlin from then on. There, he studied electrical engineering and became part of a student group that helped people escape. Just like Joachim Neumann, Hubert Hohlbein was involved in the construction of the successful escape tunnel “Tunnel 57.” One of the people who escaped through the tunnel was Hohlbein’s mother. After helping with the escape through the tunnel, Hohlbein assisted two more people in their escape from the GDR. In 2012, he was awarded the Federal Cross of Merit for his work as an escape aid worker.

This event is part of the special program marking the 65th anniversary of the construction of the Berlin Wall.
Funded by the Federal Commissioner for Culture and the Media and the LOTTO Foundation Berlin

More information: mauerbau65.berlinTranslated with DeepL

Meeting point: Platz des 18. März at the Brandenburg Gate, 10117 Berlin

Next date:

• Date Friday, 14/August/2026 18:00 bis 18:30
• Venue Podest am Brandenburger Tor
• Address Platz des 18. März am Brandenburger Tor, 10117 Berlin