Balloon: Family escapes East Germany

Introduction

In the summer of 1979, two families made a desperate escape from East Germany in a self-made hot air balloon. The families, the Strelzyks and the Wetzels, had been planning their escape for months, and they finally put their plan into action on June 16, 1979.

The Escape

The families built their hot air balloon out of a variety of materials, including bed sheets, plastic bags, and a propane tank. They then flew the balloon over the heavily guarded border between East and West Germany. The flight was successful, and the families landed safely in West Germany.

Aftermath

The families' escape made headlines around the world, and it became a symbol of the growing unrest in East Germany. The escape also inspired a book and a movie, both of which were released in 2018.