# Ingolf Diederichs (1964–1989)

> Ingolf Diederichs, a 24-year-old former student from Wismar, jumped from a moving S-Bahn train near the Bornholmer Strasse border crossing on 13 January 1989 while trying to escape to West Berlin. He was caught by the train as he fell and died instantly.

- Born: 13 April 1964
- Died: 13 January 1989
- Age at death: 24
- Cause of death: Fatal fall or accident
- Circumstances: Died trying to escape
- Place and circumstances as recorded: In the area of Böse Bridge/Bornholmer Strasse border crossing; On the sector border between Berlin-Prenzlauer Berg and Berlin-Wedding
- Map position (approximate): 52.55481, 13.39838
- Area: inner-city border between East and West Berlin
- Web page: https://victimsofthewall.com/victims/diederichs-ingolf/

## Story

Ingolf Diederichs was born in Wismar on 13 April 1964. After leaving school he trained as a repair mechanic, and in September 1986 he began studying vocational education, specialising in mechanical engineering, at the Technical University of Dresden.

A fellow student remembered him as ambitious, technically gifted and determined to finish his degree: a good engineer, though teaching did not suit his strengths. Around the time his classmates were celebrating the halfway point of their course, he was removed from the university. According to the same student, he then sought to study engineering but was not given permission.

The S-Bahn line from Pankow to Schönhauser Allee came within little more than twenty metres of West Berlin near Bornholmer Strasse, where the Wall stood 5.4 metres high and drivers were expected to take trains through without delay. Early in the evening of 13 January 1989 he boarded a train on that line at Pankow, carrying a folding wooden ladder he had made from the slats of a child's cot. At about 6:30 p.m., very close to the Bornholmer Strasse crossing, he jumped from the moving train. As he fell he was caught by the train and dragged along, and he died instantly from head injuries.

An S-Bahn driver saw his body between the mainline and S-Bahn tracks near the Böse Bridge. The Stasi and border troops closed the line between Pankow and Schönhauser Allee until after midnight to recover him and secure evidence. What led him to take such a risk is not known. The Stasi presented his escape attempt as nothing more than an accident, and his relatives were to be told only that he had died after falling from a moving train.

In late August 1994 the Berlin public prosecutor's office opened a preliminary investigation to establish whether anyone else was responsible for his death. It was closed the following month, as there was no evidence of outside involvement.

## Sources

1. Martin Ahrends/Udo Baron, “Ingolf Diederichs”, biography in Chronik der Mauer, Federal Agency for Civic Education, Centre for Contemporary History Potsdam and Deutschlandradio. Accessed 23 September 2026. https://www.chronik-der-mauer.de/en/victims/180602/diederichs-ingolf
2. German version of the same biography. Accessed 23 September 2026. https://www.chronik-der-mauer.de/todesopfer/171314/diederichs-ingolf
3. Hans-Hermann Hertle and Maria Nooke (eds.), The Victims at the Berlin Wall, 1961–1989: A Biographical Handbook. Centre for Contemporary History Potsdam and Berlin Wall Foundation, Berlin 2011.
4. Hans-Hermann Hertle and Maria Nooke, “140 Victims at the Berlin Wall, 1961–1989” (list), Centre for Contemporary History Potsdam and Berlin Wall Foundation, August 2017. https://www.chronik-der-mauer.de/system/files/dokument_pdf/2017_08_08_140%20Victims_at_the_Wall_List_Internet_engl_FINAL.pdf
5. Hans-Hermann Hertle and Maria Nooke, “The Victims at the Berlin Wall, 1961–1989: Findings of a Research Project”, August 2017. https://www.chronik-der-mauer.de/system/files/dokument_pdf/2017_08_08_Hertle_Nooke_140_Victims_Berlin_Wall_FINAL_0.pdf

This profile is a summary written for this site; every fact in it is taken from source 1.

Cite as: “Ingolf Diederichs”, Victims of the Berlin Wall, Berlin Experiences. https://victimsofthewall.com/victims/diederichs-ingolf/