Walter Ulbricht,
former head of State and Communist Party in East Germany  (June 15, 1961)

Only two months later, on 13.8.61, the same man orders that a wall be built in the heart of Berlin, dividing East and West Berlin.

Erich Mielke,
Chief of the East German Ministry for Security
during a major official conference
(April 28, 1989)

More than 5000 escape attempts resulted in 239 death. The first victim, Rudolf Urban, dies only 6 days after the raising of the Wall.
The last person to die, Chris Gueffroy - is killed only half a year before the Fall of the Wall on February 5, 1989.

Günter Schabowski,
Member of the Politbuero of the Communist Party
(November 9,1989)

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