There were some casualties regarding the wall. On August 22,1961, Ida Siekmann was the first to die; she died by jumping out of her three-story apartment. A man attempted to swim across the Spree Canal, but was shot and killed by guards. Another would be of Peter Fechter, who was shot in the "no man's land" and left there to bleed out. However, there have been successful escape attempts. For one, some dug holes under the wall. Others modified their sports car so they could pass through the metal beam at checkpoints. Some even used hot air balloons to cross the wall!
A few presidents have made appearances in Berlin. JFK gave his famous speech. In front of 120,000 people, he said," Ich bin ein Brliner." This means "I am a Berliner". Ronald Reagan also gave his famous speech here. He ordered Mikhail Gorbachev to "tear down this wall".
A few presidents have made appearances in Berlin. JFK gave his famous speech. In front of 120,000 people, he said," Ich bin ein Brliner." This means "I am a Berliner". Ronald Reagan also gave his famous speech here. He ordered Mikhail Gorbachev to "tear down this wall".