HISTORIAS Manuel Espejo
Libre
Libre (Free) is a song by the Spanish singer Nino Bravo, honouring the memory of Peter Fechter.
Peter Fechter was an 18-year East Berliner bricklayer. He was raised in the Weißensee district. Peter belonged to a humble family that had endured the war and the post-war period in East Berlin. Peter enrolled into an apprenticeship as a bricklayer because this trade was in high demand after the war. One of his sisters got married and went to live in West Berlin. The Fechter family used to visit her. However, since August 1961 this tradition was no longer possible.
On August 13, 1961, the communist regime of the so-called German Democratic Republic started the construction of a wall to divide the eastern part and the western part of Berlin. This part of Berlin was controlled by the United States, the United Kingdom, and France since the end of the Second World War. Conversely, East Berlin belonged to the untrue Democratic Republic, one satellite state of the Soviet Union. The wall was allegedly intended to protect the eastern population from the evil West, that would be conspiring to prevent the enthusiastic will of the people from the implantation of socialism. The official name in German meant Anti-Fascist Protection Rampart.
Peter did not know much about socialism, nor was he very keen about the wall. The only thing he knew was that things seemed to be going better in the West, that there they were more opportunities, better wages, and that he could go to visit his sister before and could not anymore. Everyone wanted to move to the West. So, before the construction of the wall, people left, and did not return to East Berlin. The ones who continued living in the east had no other choice.
Peter met Helmut Kulbeik in an apprenticeship. They were not close friends, but the two young men shared concerns about their future. In the East personal and professional opportunities were scarce. The West offered more chances. They thought, “are we going to be subjected to these bad vibes our whole lives?” Prosperity was on the other side of the wall. They were as German as the people beyond it. West Germany was their own nation. Was there something wrong with living there? Who could forbid them to go a few blocks further? Furthermore, they wanted to be free, they did not like the communist regime, which meddled in all aspects of their life.
Finally, they made the decision. They would flee to West Berlin. They devised a plan to overcome the wall and the barbed wire. It would not be easy because there were armed guards. But they were convinced that they could do it. They would.
The atmosphere has been very rarefied in Berlin lately. Berliners on both sides of the wall were very unhappy with the separation imposed by the Communists. There had already been several deaths amongst those who had tried to cross from East to West. It would not be easy to go across the wall and outwit the guards, who were ready to shoot.
The day chosen for jumping over the wall was August 17, 1962. Peter was furious, because despite his good behaviour, he had been denied a trip to the West. In their escape, everything seemed to be going well. However, they were discovered and the soldiers, without warning, shot at them. Helmut succeeded in crossing over the wall. However, Peter was hit and fell to the ground. Helmut called out to him, tried to encourage him to climb the wall, but Peter could not.
Peter stayed there for almost an hour. He constantly asked for help. Peter was in sight of hundreds of people. They watched the young man bleed to death. Medical supplies were thrown at him from the west side of the wall. But, since he was on the east side of it, no one could enter from the West to help him. They would have been shot by the soldiers of the communist regime. Peter received no help from the eastern soldiers or police. He kept screaming, asking for assistance, until he stopped. Then, when he could no longer be heard, the soldiers went to collect his corpse.
Death restored Peter's freedom.