麻豆社

On 13 August 1961, the border around West Berlin became fortified with concrete, barbed wire and armed guards. The Berlin Wall would soon become the most visible symbol of the Cold War.

A steam train driver from the East, Harry Deterling, looked at his wife and four young children and decided to make an escape plan.

His non-conformist nature had also already got him in trouble with the authorities and he was to be sent to a political reeducation camp in the coming January of 1962.

Determined to get out, he managed to secretly gather 25 of his closest family and friends onto a train.

He was in the driver's seat and, on 5 December 1961, he defied the East German state's iron curtain by driving at full steam through the border fortifications.

Alex Eccleston speaks to Harry's son, Manfred Deterling, who was seven at the time, about their daring escape. A Whistledown production.

Witness History is a short 麻豆社 World Service podcast about history that takes you inside big moments from the past through first-hand testimony and archive. Each weekday, in around nine minutes, we revisit one moment that helped shape the world and hear it through the voice of someone who was there. Scientists, artists, campaigners, soldiers, leaders and everyday people tell their true stories.

When you subscribe to Witness History, you鈥檒l be taken inside turning points in world affairs from West Africa鈥檚 fight back against Boko Haram in 2015 to the behind-closed-doors talks that led to the US-Cuba 鈥渢haw鈥� and the surprise announcement of restored relations.

You鈥檒l discover what it was like to experience disasters and how people recovered from them, including the Tabasco floods in Mexico, Portugal's worst train disaster, and the huge clean-up after the Chernobyl nuclear disaster.

You鈥檒l explore culture and ideas too: Sweden鈥檚 Expedition Robinson, often credited as the first modern reality TV game show; the friendship between The Beatles鈥� George Harrison and Indian sitarist Ravi Shankar; and the night a tiger attack brought Las Vegas superstars Siegfried and Roy鈥檚 show to a sudden end.

And if you鈥檙e curious about inventions, we鈥檒l tell you how air fryers, BlackBerry, YouTube, Alexa, GPS, superglue, the shopping cart (shopping trolley) and bubble tea were created.

If you鈥檙e new to Witness History, the appeal is simple: real voices, one strong true story, and a fresh way to understand today through events from history 鈥� all in the time it takes to enjoy a cup of tea or a walk around the block. Join millions of 麻豆社 World Service podcast listeners around the globe and enjoy the insight, context and detail Witness History will bring you.

(Photo: The Deterling family after the escape. Credit: Deterling family)

Show less