Regierungsvierte in Berlin in Mitte, Germany — Northeast German Plain (The European Plain)
Ida Siekmann
Photographed by Andrew Ruppenstein, September 3, 2025
1. Ida Siekmann white cross
* 23.08.1902
† 22.08.1961
Ida Siekmann wagt den tödlichen Sprung in die Freiheit. Am Tag zuvor wurde die Tür ihres Hauses in der Bernauer Straße 48 verbarrikadiert. Nachdem sie am nächsten Morgen Bettzeug und andere Habseligkeiten aus dem Fenster ihrer Wohnung im 3. Stock geworfen hatte, sprang sie hinterher, bevor die Feuerwehr mit einem Sprungtuch zu Hilfe kommen konnte. Sie wurde das erste Todesopfer nach dem Bau der Mauer.
Ida Siekmann
Born August 23, 1902
Died August 22, 1961
Ida Siekmann dared to take a fatal leap towards freedom. The day before, the door of her house at Bernauer Straße 48 was barricaded. After throwing bedding and other belongings out of the window of her third-floor apartment the next morning, she jumped in before the fire department could arrive with a safety net. She became the first fatality after the construction of the Wall.
Erected 2021 by Berliner Bürgerverein 1970.
Topics and series. This memorial is listed in these topic lists:
this page online
Location. 52° 31.051′ N, 13° 22.61′ E. Memorial is in Berlin, in Mitte. It is in Regierungsvierte. It is at the intersection of Ebertstraße and Scheidemannstraße, on the right when traveling south on Ebertstraße. Touch for map. Memorial is in this post office area: Berlin 10117, Germany. Touch for directions.
Regionally, it is in Europe, the European Union, Atlantic Europe, Central Europe, the Schengen Area, Western Europe, and the Western World. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Roman Empire and specifically also the Holy Roman Empire.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Günter Litfin (here, next to this marker); Olga Segler (here, next to this marker); Bernd Lünser (here, next to this marker); Heinz Sokolowski Memorial (here, next to this marker); Udo Düllick (here, next to this marker); Werner Probst (here, next to this marker); Den Toten des Volkaufstandes vom 17. Juni 1953 (here, next to this marker); Ingo Krüger (a few steps from this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Berlin.
Also see . . . Ida Siekmann (Wikipedia). Excerpt:
Ida Siekmann (23 August 1902 – 22 August 1961) was a German nurse who became the first known person to die at the Berlin Wall, only nine days after the beginning of its construction.(Submitted on September 30, 2025.)
On 21 August, the entrance and windows of Bernauer Straße 48 were being barred by the EastGerman authorities. The following morning, the day before her 59th birthday, Siekmann threw a quilt and some possessions down onto the street in West Berlin before she jumped out of the window of her third-floor (by German standards, fourth-floor by North American standards) apartment. Siekmann jumped before the firefighters were able to properly open the jumping sheet, and was severely injured when she fell on the pavement. Siekmann died while on her way to the Lazarus Hospital shortly after the fall, thus becoming the first known casualty at the Berlin Wall.Photographed by Andrew Ruppenstein, September 3, 20252. Ida Siekmann white cross - wide view (second from the left)
Credits. This page was last revised on September 30, 2025. It was originally submitted on September 30, 2025, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California. This page has been viewed 125 times since then and 43 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on September 30, 2025, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California.
