Who was Chris Gueffroy?
Q: Who was Chris Gueffroy?
A: Chris Gueffroy was a 21-year-old East German man who attempted to escape from East Berlin to West Berlin on the night of 5 to 6 February 1989. He was the last person to be killed by border troops while trying to cross the Berlin Wall.
Q: What happened when he tried to escape?
A: When Gueffroy and his friend Christian Gaudian tried to cross near the Britz district canal, they were seen and shot at by National People's Army (NVA) border troops. Gueffroy was hit in the chest by ten shots and died in the border strip, while Gaudian was badly injured and arrested.
Q: What happened to those responsible for his death?
A: The four border guards at first got an award from their chief, Erich Wöllner, and a prize of 150 East German Marks each. After reunification of East and West Germany, they were prosecuted by Berlin regional court. Ingo Heinrich, who fired the shot that killed Gueffroey, was sentenced to three and a half years in jail; however this penalty was later reduced to a suspended sentence of two years in 1994. In 2000, two SED officials were tried for the death of Gueffroy but acquitted due lack of evidence that they could have lifted the shoot-to-kill order; however this case was retried on 7 August 2004 with both men found guilty given suspended sentences of 15 months each due length of time since events occurred.
Q: What monument is dedicated to Chris Gueffroy?
A: On 21 June 2003 - which would have been his 35th birthday - a monument designed by Berlin artist Karl Biedermann was built on banks of Britz district canal dedicated in memory of Chris Gueffroy.
Q: How did Christian Gaudian fare after attempting escape with Chris?
A: Christian Gaudian survived being shot but suffered serious injuries; he was arrested shortly afterwards and sentenced on 24 May 1989 imprisonment for three years for trying illegally cross border ("versuchten ungesetzlichen Grenzübertritts im schweren Fall"). However he eventually freed on bail September 1989 by East German government transferred 17 October 1989 West Berlin following reunification East West Germany.
Q: When did reunification occur between East & West Germany?
A: Reunification between East & West Germany occurred in October 1989 following fall Berlin Wall earlier same year
