An Interview of Peter by Jalen Bayani

Today, I will be talking to a university student who has made plans to escape from East Berlin. This is a BIG risk. For his safety and the safety of his family, he has asked that I call him by his first name only. Peter is his name, let's find out his story.

Jalen: What year did the Berlin Wall go up?

Peter:  The year, I believe, would be 1961.

Jalen: So, that’s four years now. And how did it make you feel when the wall went up?

Peter: Well, when the wall was built, I felt as if I was trapped inside a jail or in something I didn’t want to be in. That morning, a Sunday, I saw people standing near the wall with Stasi lined up with guns pointing at the innocent people of East Berlin.

Jalen: Wow. That must have felt so strange. So let's go to your big plan. Why do you plan to escape?

Peter: If I can get to West Berlin, I can find a way to have my family sneak over. I want to live a happier life.

Jalen: That is probably true for many people of East Berlin. So, how do you plan to escape?

Peter: Well, since there are vans that come into East Berlin from West Berlin, I thought I could sneak into a van.

Jalen: If you escape and get to West Berlin, what would you do?

Peter: I actually don't know what I'd do first, but I would probably find a job and a way to get my family to the West side.

Jalen: Really. And how long have you been planning for this escape?

Peter: Well, I have been planning this for…uh… actually there's not an exact moment when I began to think about this plan.

Jalen: Ok. Well, I think that's all for today. Thank you so much.

Peter: Thank you for having me.

Note: Shortly after this interview, it was learned that Peter was discovered hiding in a special compartment of a car that belonged to friends of his. These friends live in West Berlin and had traveled to East Berlin for a visit. Peter joined them on their return trip to the West. Unfortunately, Peter was executed on the spot by the Grenzers who found him during a search of the car. Peter will be remembered for his courage to live the life he wanted.