Heidelberger Straße Tunnels

Known as the “Straße der Tränen” (Street of Tears), Heidelberger Straße was split down the middle by the Berlin Wall, with the western pavement in Neukölln and the eastern side in Treptow. Multiple escape tunnels were dug here in 1962, helping over 100 people reach the West. Escape helper Heinz Jercha was shot and killed during one operation, and a memorial plaque at Nr. 35 commemorates his sacrifice.

Heidelberger Straße became one of the most active sites for tunnel escapes in 1962. The street was divided exactly down its centre line by the Berlin Wall – residents on one pavement were in West Berlin’s Neukölln, while those directly opposite found themselves in East Berlin’s Treptow district. This unusual configuration made it a natural target for tunnel builders, who could dig relatively short passages from basements on the western side to buildings just metres away in the East.

Over 100 East Berliners escaped through the tunnels here. But the operations came at a terrible cost. On 27 March 1962, escape helper Heinz Jercha – working alongside the legendary tunnel builder Harry Seidel – was caught in a Stasi ambush at Nr. 75 on the East Berlin side. Hit by a bullet, the 28-year-old managed to crawl back through the tunnel to West Berlin, but he died of his injuries shortly after arriving.

A bronze memorial plaque was unveiled at Heidelberger Straße 35 in 2012 by Harry Seidel himself, together with the District Councillor of Neukölln. It commemorates Jercha’s death and the courage of all those who risked their lives in the tunnels beneath this divided street.

 Show me on the map

Gallery