CHECKPOINT: WALL: EAST GERMAN PATROL: WEST BERLIN MEMORIAL: WREATH LAID: WREATH LAID AT ANOTHER MEMORIAL: WREATH LAID AT THIRD MEMORIAL.




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Background: THE EIGHTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ERECTION OF THE BERLIN WALL WAS MARKED TODAY (WEDNESDAY) WITH MEMORIAL AND WREATH-LAYING CEREMONIES IN WEST BERLIN. DELEGATIONS FROM THE CITY GOVERNMENT, THE BONN MINISTRY FOR ALL-GERMAN AFFAIRS, AND THE TRADE UNIONS PLACED FLOWERS AND WREATHS AT MEMORIALS FOR 64 PEOPLE KNOWN TO HAVE DIED CROSSING FROM EAST TO WEST BERLIN.

THE BERLIN WALL, BUILT IN 1961 TO SAFEGUARD EAST GERMANY'S ECONOMY FROM AN INCREASING FLOOD OF EAST GERMANS TO THE WEST, DIVIDES THE CITY IN HALF, AND IS ONE OF THE BEST-GUARDED STRUCTURES IN THE WORLD.

AT THE HEINRICH HEINE-STRASSE CHECKPOINT, USED FOR EAST AND WEST GERMAN TRADE, BORDER GUARDS CONTINUED TO CHECK IDENTIFICATION PAPERS AS USUAL.

NEAR THE BRANDENBURG GATE, A DELEGATION OF UNION WORKERS LAID A WREATH AT A MEMORIAL BUILT TO RESEMBLE A MINIATURE WALL.

REPRESENTATIVES OF THE MINISTRY FOR ALL-GERMAN AFFAIRS LAID A WREATH AT A MEMORIAL TO GUENTER LITFIN, THE FIRST MAN TO DIE AFTER THE ERECTION OF THE WALL WHEN HE TRIED TO SWIM A CANAL.

GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVES ALSO LAID A WREATH AT A MEMORIAL TO IDA SIEKMANN, A 70-YEAR-OLD WOMAN WHO DIED WHEN SHE TRIED TO JUMP FROM HER FOURTH FLOOR WINDOW INTO WEST BERLIN.