Fact check: Well over 100,000 citizens of the GDR tried to escape across the inner-German border

1. Summary of the results

1. Summary of the results

The statement is accurate and supported by extensive data. Records show that well over 100,000 GDR citizens attempted to escape, with more than 75,000 being imprisoned for such attempts. A detailed study from 1974-1979 showed 4,956 attempts in just that five-year period, with only 4.6% succeeding in crossing the border.

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The original statement omits several crucial aspects:

• The human cost: Over 600 people were killed during escape attempts, including at least 140 at the Berlin Wall alone
• Success rates were extremely low: By 1986, successful escapes had dropped to just 200 per year
• The broader migration context: Before the Berlin Wall's construction in 1961, approximately 2.7 million people left the GDR legally or illegally
• Technical details: Escape attempts were prevented through multiple security zones, landmines, and directional mines, with 80.4% of attempts being stopped in the outer restricted zone

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

While not technically incorrect, the statement's simplicity potentially understates the complexity of the situation:

• It doesn't acknowledge that escape attempts varied significantly over different periods
• It fails to mention that by the 1980s, only about 1% of those leaving East Germany did so through border crossings
• The statement doesn't differentiate between actual escape attempts and other forms of migration that occurred before the Berlin Wall's construction
• It doesn't mention that border guards were legally authorized to use lethal force, which significantly impacted the nature and frequency of escape attempts