From the DW:
“Germany: Escape tunnel under
Berlin Wall opens to public”
An escape tunnel underneath the
Berlin Wall opened on Thursday for the first time as Germany commemorates the
30-year anniversary of the fall of the Wall. The tunnel is located near
Berlin's main wall memorial at Bernauer Strasse. Berlin Mayor Michael Müller
officially opened the 100-meter (328-foot) tunnel, thanking those who built it.
"It's great to see that the battle for freedom was also taken
underground," said Müller, who also toured the exhibit that accompanies
the escape route. "One can authentically experience the courage of the
women and men who tried to take people to freedom and resisted the East German
regime."
Who built the tunnel?
The tunnel was built by a group
of East German dissidents who had escaped to the West. They began construction
in late 1970, nine years after the Berlin Wall was built. Their plan was to
help friends and families follow them and escape to West Berlin, but days
before it was complete East German authorities discovered it using ultrasound
technology. The authorities then partially destroyed the tunnel. The public can
visit the tunnel as part of a larger underground exhibit about the wall and
other tunnels. More than 70 escape tunnels were built under the wall during the
28 years that it stood, and around 300 people managed to escape from the East
to the West during this time.
^ I have seen many films and documentaries
and read several books and articles about the tunnels underneath Berlin. I
would love to go visit an actual one to see in person what lengths people will
go to in order to be free. ^
https://www.dw.com/en/germany-escape-tunnel-under-berlin-wall-opens-to-public/a-51157303
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