Assistance in Escaping and Stories of People at the Berlin Wall
Karl-Heinz Poncé was born in East Berlin in October 1949, a few days before the founding of the GDR. His path was mapped out: first a member of the Pioneers, then joining the FDJ (Free German Youth), graduating from the POS (polytechnic secondary school) and, in 1966, beginning an apprenticeship as an electrician.
Image gallery
Zeitzeuge Karl-Heinz Poncé
On 13 August 1961, he was staying at a holiday camp on Lake Werbellin. The full significance of the news that the Berlin Wall was being built only dawned on him when, on his return to Berlin, he saw the barrier installations at the border. He then began to question things. And that was precisely what was forbidden in the GDR.
On 20 January 1967, Poncé was arrested, taken to the Stasi remand centre in Berlin-Pankow and charged. He was accused of being the spokesperson for a youth group that took a critical view of life in the GDR. This was followed by six months in pre-trial detention and a sentence of 14 months’ imprisonment for incitement against the state. His longing to leave the GDR grew…
In 1972, he was arrested again – in Czechoslovakia – for attempting to flee the republic.
Here, Poncé does not tell the story of a successful escape from the GDR, but rather recounts life in the GDR, unvarnished, with all its problems and reprisals.
Drawing on rare documents relating to his periods of detention and his departure from the GDR, the stories are brought to life for the audience.
IN GERMAN
Additional information
Dates
September 2026
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