Making the Impossible Decision

On August 12, 1961, immediately before the construction of the Berlin Wall this couple makes the decision to pass their son over barbed wire to West Berlin.

The original caption:

A German fate at the fence of barbed wire!

It may be that a couple from Berlin will never see each other again because it became separated by the drawing of the line across Berlin. On August 12, one day before Ulbricht had ordered to surround West Berlin with barbed wire, a man was flying into West Berlin. His wife should follow him a few days later as the little son was still in a holiday-camp. In the meantime the nearly impenetrable “iron curtain” was drawn around West Berlin. The couple met at the fence of barbed wire. The “Vopo” guard was indulgent and allowed the meeting. The couple discussed their situation and they decided that the little son shall grow up in freedom. At a moment when the “Vopo” did not watch them the mother handed the child over the barbed wire.  

Source: research.archives.gov

708 Notes/ Hide

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    There’s so much weight...these photos, so much being said in three frames. I hope they...
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  21. carolinatarheelstate reblogged this from relright and added:
    crazy
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    I cannot imagine what a hard decision this would be to make
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    This just makes me cry.
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    Oh.