Regierungsvierte in Berlin in Mitte, Germany — Northeast German Plain (The European Plain)
Udo Düllick
Photographed by Andrew Ruppenstein, September 3, 2025
1. Udo Düllick white cross
* 03.08.1936
† 05.10.1961
Udo Düllick, Ingenieur, war eines der ersten Todesopfer an der Berliner Mauer.
Er ertrank bei der Flucht in der Spree zwischen Friedrichshain und Kreuzberg in der Nähe der Oberbaumbrücke.
Udo Düllick
Born August 3, 1936
Died October 5, 1961
Udo Düllick, engineer, was one of the first victims of the Berlin Wall.
He drowned while trying to escape in the Spree River between Friedrichshain and Kreuzberg, near the Oberbaum Bridge.
Erected 2021 by Berliner Bürgerverein 1970.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: War, Cold. In addition, it is included in the Berlin Wall series list. A significant historical date for this entry is October 5, 1961.
Location. 52° 31.053′ N, 13° 22.609′ E. Marker is in Berlin, in Mitte. It is in Regierungsvierte. It is on Ebertstraße near Scheidemannstraße, on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Berlin 10557, 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
this page online
Also see . . . Udo Düllick (Chronik der Mauer). Excerpt:
…He was a good swimmer, which is probably why he risked escaping through the border waters on that October evening. It was almost midnight when he approached the bank of the Spree River. He removed his jacket, pants and shoes on the grounds of the Osthafenmühle and jumped into the water. Border guards posted on the nearby bridge noticed the fugitive immediately. After they set off flares and warning shots, they fired their guns at him. Then the water police began to pursue him by boat. Udo Düllick swam for his life. He repeatedly dove under the water to avoid the bullets. West Berliners on the other side of the river watched the dramatic events and wanted to help the young man, but they could not go beyond the embankment wall because the entire width of the Spree there belonged to East(Submitted on October 24, 2025.)Berlin. Udo Düllick had almost reached safe ground on the other side when he suddenly sank beneath the water’s surface. His dead body was retrieved from the West Berlin side an hour later.Photographed by Andrew Ruppenstein, September 3, 20252. Udo Düllick Marker - wide view (6th from the left)
In West Berlin, the death of the fugitive, whose identity was not known at first, caused great sadness and led to a wave of protests. No less than 2,500 people gathered on October 7, 1961 to attend a funeral service on the Gröbenufer in Kreuzberg. Young people set up a large wooden cross wrapped in barbed wire as a sign of their condemnation of the communist regime. Protest slogans such as „Hounded to death by concentration camp guards" were painted on banners and signs.
Over the next few days hundreds of West Berliners came to the Gröbenufer and placed flowers and wreaths at the site. On the „Sunday commemoration of the dead," a few weeks later, a memorial stone with the inscription „the unknown fugitive" was erected next to the cross.
Additional keywords. weiße Kreuz
Credits. This page was last revised on October 24, 2025. It was originally submitted on October 24, 2025, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California. This page has been viewed 62 times since then and 15 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on October 24, 2025, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California.
