Karl Hofer reviewed a dossier describing escape attempts since the border had been closed. Some attempts were ingenious, innovative, and he was somewhat envious at the courage, planning, or intellect that had gone into developing them. Others were founded on pure adrenalin, an almost dare-devil attempt to cross the border, often against insurmountable odds. Curiously, some were successful. He wondered what drove people to take such incredible risks, knowing they might lose their lives, only for a taste of freedom. Or what they thought freedom was. Maybe West Berlin was worse than East Berlin. Or maybe it wasn’t. Sometimes he wondered also.
As he leafed through the pages, he found that some attempts had similarities, while others were unique. The most common methods involved eluding guards
