On November 9, 1989, the world watched in fascinated excitement as the Berlin Wall was taken down, and thousands upon thousands of jubilant people celebrated and cheered the removal of this ugly landmark. For 28 years, this barrier of concrete, barbed wire and armed guards had divided neighborhoods, families and friends. In a desperate attempt to rejoin family and to find freedom from the restrictions of communism, many people risked their lives in crossing over the Berlin Wall to safety and a new life in the West.
All escapes were daring, but many of them were highly creative as well. These people saw an opportunity and used it to their full advantage. They did not let fears, doubts or “what ifs” hold them back.
Worth the Risk
Harry Deterling escaped with family and friends when he engineered a train at full throttle past the last station in East Germany into West Germany. He had noticed the unused train tracks that ran from East to West and quickly signed up for that route. He drained the air from the train’s emergency brakes, so that no one could stop the train by pulling the emergency cord. This escape route was promptly blocked the next day.
As a young man, Heinz Meixner was an Austrian working in East Germany when he fell in love with a young lady who lived there. The authorities refused to give her permission to marry Heinz in his own country, so he devised a plan of escape for his future wife and mother-in-law. He rented a small, low sports car that he could adapt to fit under the barrier between the two borders. First he removed the windshield, and then he let some air out of the tires to bring the car lower to the ground. With his mother-in-law in the tiny trunk and his wife-to-be hiding behind the front seat, he was able to step on the gas and fly under the 37½" high barrier to freedom in the West.
Ingo Bethke escaped on an air mattress across the River Elbe. Then Ingo helped his brother Holger to escape. Holger took up archery and used the attic of a tall building overlooking the Berlin Wall to shoot a zip line over the wall with his bow and arrow. Ingo then tied this to his car. With a metal pulley, Holger rode the zip line high above the wall and so made his escape into West Berlin. Next, these two brothers took flying lessons. Then they painted two ultralight planes with Soviet-style red stars, dressed in military uniforms and flew into East Germany, where they picked up their brother Egbert and so made their final escape into West Berlin. Such ingenuity and creativity is to be admired!
One clear night in September 1979, two families made a daring escape in a homemade hot air balloon. The engine was made from propane cylinders. A combination of taffeta, umbrella fabric, tent nylon and bed linens were sewn together for the balloon. After a failed attempt and knowing that the police were hot on their trail, they were finally able to soar over the Berlin Wall after 30 tension-filled minutes.
While some people escaped over the wall, others escaped under the wall. In 1962, an elderly group of senior citizens led by an 81-year-old man spent two weeks digging a tunnel that they could walk (not crawl) through to freedom. A dozen elderly East Germans escaped through what was later named the “Senior Citizens Tunnel.” Following suit, in 1964, a group of students built a tunnel through which 57 people escaped — this became known as “Tunnel 57.”
Reaching True Freedom
All of these people desired freedom and were willing to risk death to accomplish their goal. They all realized that their situation would not change unless they took action. But did you know that we have all lived as prisoners of sin? Because man rebelled against God, we are born with a sinful nature that cannot please a righteous, holy and just God. We have each sinned, and “it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:2727And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: (Hebrews 9:27)). This is why God warns us to “flee from the wrath to come” (Matthew 3:77But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? (Matthew 3:7)). There is coming a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness — those who have not repented of their sins and accepted the Lord Jesus as their Savior will face eternal judgment. “Because He [God] hath appointed a day, in the which He will judge the world in righteousness by that Man [Jesus] whom He hath ordained; whereof He hath given assurance unto all men, in that He hath raised Him from the dead” (Acts 17:3131Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead. (Acts 17:31)).
The Bible says, “How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation?” (Hebrews 2:33How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him; (Hebrews 2:3)). God has provided a way of escape, a way of salvation from eternal punishment and separation from Him; it is through His only begotten Son, the Lord Jesus. “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:1212Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. (Acts 4:12)). So how do we accept this great salvation? Through faith in the Lord Jesus, “for God so loved the world, that He [God] gave His only begotten Son [Jesus], that whosoever believeth in Him [the Lord Jesus], should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:1616For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)). We are either in Satan’s domain or in the Lord’s domain. We must all choose whom we are going to serve. Who are you serving today? Is it wealth, possessions, traditions, or a false belief in any other name than Jesus?
Escaping death became pretty urgent business for a few geology students. Learn their story in Hidden River Cave.