Imagine a person, who returned from his vacation in Poland later than expected. He tries to convince his wife, that his plane was hijacked and forced to land in west Berlin, but American soldiers freed him and make him a tour around west Berlin before sending him back to home.
@@lkrnpk"Polish KGB"? You do know that the KGB is a Soviet Union thing, right? It's the _Комитет государственной безопасности_ (KGB, Committee for State Security, 1954-1991). Poland had the _Służba Bezpieczeństwa_ (SB, Security Service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, 1956-1989). East Germany had the _Ministerium für Staatssicherheit_ (MIS or Stasi, Ministry for State Security, 1950-1990), which were the ones actually questioning the people for two hours. Keep up!
@@KaiHenningsen You are just knitpicking. You can say "the polish intelligence agency or secret service"; nobody knows or cares for the exact name, nobody would understand it, if used.
Yes, I am Latvian and fluent in Russian and reading news and sometimes even thinking in Russian, but thanks for explanation, I'm sure I didn't know that instead of just not overcomplicating it for an average Westerner in a silly comment which took 4 seconds to write :D Truth be told I didn't know how exactly the Polish one was called, but I just did not care that much for one comment@@KaiHenningsen
Afterwards, Berliners interpreted the name of the Polish airline LOT as "Landet Ooch Tempelhof" in English: "lands at Tempelhof too"
Рік тому+50
The whole situation could be a comedy skit, specially the part about the different authorities not wanting to deal with the situation and trying to pass the hot potatoes to someone else.
This sounds like such a movie plot honestly! But i mean, there are several movies with that topic based on true events, sooooooo. Haven't heard about that one before, thx for sharing it!
Just imagine: that day must have been a real emotional roller coaster for them. The mild excitement of air travel, followed by the terror of the hijacking, followed by the euphoria of escaping from the “worker’s paradise”. Waking up the next morning must have been crazy too. Looking out the window and being like “holy crap, that all actually happened! I’m in West Berlin! I’m FREEEE!”
Unlike Tegel, which was at the time French military airport, and Gatow, which was British, Tempelhof was not just an American military airport but it was also a civilian airport.
Nope. All civillian air traffic to West Berlin relocated from Tempelhof to Tegel in 1975 after the new terminal building had opened in 1974. Tempelhof was only a US military airfield by the time the hijack happened.
A guy enters the cockpit and points a gun at the pilots. "Fly to Los Angeles," he says. The captain replies, "what you on about? this is the flight to Los Angeles!" Hijacker retorts: "Yeah, but I ended up in Cuba three times in a row..."
Oh, that was really an exciting story! I am married to an East German man who is now a great Besserwessi. His parents, who come from a tiny village in eastern Germany, would never want to live here. They don't like westy things. It is like it is. There are so many differences that I would never have guessed until I met them. Great story telling video!
5:41 'the judge was American but had to make decisions based on German law.' that is nothing unusual. happens quite often in criminal cases or international tax law. international private law is a different matter
@@ben8557 every time someone is tried in a German court but the crime happened in another country. the same for other countries, if they follow the rule of law. tax cases: someone is obliged to pay the same kind of tax in two different countries (probably for the same reason); to avoid having to pay taxes twice for the same thing countries try to negotiate tax agreements with other countries but this isn't always the case.
Imagine the East Germans on that plane being like "Well, I didn't plan on comitting Republikflucht, but if the opportunity presents itself so readily..."
4:43 "The West German Authorities" - that term oversimplifies the situation. While West Berlin was considered part of West Germany (sort of), it was also still occupied territory under the control of the western Allies (since the Soviets did not agree to end Berlin's occupational status by quadripartite agreement until 1990). Hence, the Grundgesetz was not fully applied and grey areas like this one were allowed to flourish. In certain areas such as gun control and the airports, the West Berlin government was not free to act as they wished.
The judge for that trial, Herbert Jay Stern, wrote a book about it: Judgment in Berlin. The book covers more of the trial and the political implications, a very interesting story.
I remember this story was still often told in the 1980ies whan I was a young Girl. Today it seems only strange and weird - the world has really changed since then!
I do not think it has much to do with it happening in the American Sector of Germany. More with the special situation of West-Berlin, and especially with the specific legal situation considering all air traffic to and from West-Berlin. No German airline was flying there at that time.
Getting assigned as judge for Europe would be easy they said, just some misdemeanors of drunk GIs they said, you barely need your law degree there they said.
It wasn't anything to do with the West German government as the United States was the occupying power, and West Germany didn't have sovereignty over West Berlin, but applying German law. Juries were abolished in Germany under the Weimar Republic.
Nicht wenige, steht nicht im Widerspruch zu "weniger als 10%". Sind ja immernoch ein paar 1000. Und das ist dann doch viel weniger unwahrscheinlich. Da reichen unterschied in "wie rede ich mit meinem Chef", oder "wie geht man mit Geld um".
The whole escape plan was very foolish from the start. As difficult as it was to leave East Germany legally, you could get out relatively easily if you found a westerner who’d marry you. All the two lovebirds would have had to do was to get married. The only wrinkle: Single parents of minor children needed permission from the other parent before being allowed to emigrate with a child. So Ingrid essentially decided to kidnap her child - something which is a crime essentially in the entire world. East German minors so kidnapped were sent back by West German authorities. Since there was no mention of Ingrid’s daughter being sent back, perhaps her (biological) father wasn’t interested in getting her or was otherwise out of the picture - which only makes Ingrid’s decision to take all these risks even more foolish.
Missing the wonderful time when Berlin was divided. Tegel was still open. You didn't have to work with Ossis who proudly supported the SED, MFS and NVA. And last but not least you got extra bonus , called Berlinzulage, on your salary.
The Stasi had been tipped off about a possible escape attempt, and so were closely shadowing all the people involved, including Detlev Tiede. Despite that, he was able to buy a fake gun, take it on board a plane, and use it to hijack the plane to make good his escape and that of his accomplice. Not mentioned in the video is eye-witness claims that at least two Stasi agents were in fact on board the plane and yet did nothing to intervene.
@@rewboss This gives more detailed information and makes your statement not completely out of thin air. Thanks! But even the Stasi couldn't prevent everything they were assigned to. We had them often in our street observing from neighbouring houses and entering rental apartments of dissidents.
Imagine a person, who returned from his vacation in Poland later than expected. He tries to convince his wife, that his plane was hijacked and forced to land in west Berlin, but American soldiers freed him and make him a tour around west Berlin before sending him back to home.
and then Polish KGB learns this is true and call him for questioning
As a feisty and suspicious wife, she'll probably give him a few hits with the rolling pin.
@@lkrnpk"Polish KGB"? You do know that the KGB is a Soviet Union thing, right? It's the _Комитет государственной безопасности_ (KGB, Committee for State Security, 1954-1991). Poland had the _Służba Bezpieczeństwa_ (SB, Security Service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, 1956-1989). East Germany had the _Ministerium für Staatssicherheit_ (MIS or Stasi, Ministry for State Security, 1950-1990), which were the ones actually questioning the people for two hours. Keep up!
@@KaiHenningsen You are just knitpicking. You can say "the polish intelligence agency or secret service"; nobody knows or cares for the exact name, nobody would understand it, if used.
Yes, I am Latvian and fluent in Russian and reading news and sometimes even thinking in Russian, but thanks for explanation, I'm sure I didn't know that instead of just not overcomplicating it for an average Westerner in a silly comment which took 4 seconds to write :D Truth be told I didn't know how exactly the Polish one was called, but I just did not care that much for one comment@@KaiHenningsen
Afterwards, Berliners interpreted the name of the Polish airline LOT as "Landet Ooch Tempelhof" in English: "lands at Tempelhof too"
The whole situation could be a comedy skit, specially the part about the different authorities not wanting to deal with the situation and trying to pass the hot potatoes to someone else.
Also the sightseeing tour of West Berlin
About the number of passengers: Wikipedia says that there were 62 people on board and 50 of them were citizen of East Germany.
Fascinating stuff, Andrew, really liked that one.
This sounds like such a movie plot honestly! But i mean, there are several movies with that topic based on true events, sooooooo. Haven't heard about that one before, thx for sharing it!
Actually there are two movies based on that hijacking: „Ein Richter für Berlin“ and „Westflug - Entführung aus Liebe“
I remember that incident. It caused quite a stir.
You forgot the best!
LOT - Landet och Tempelhof
Came here just for this comment😂
Was also made into a movie "Judgment in Berlin", Martin Sheen played the Judge.
German title: Ein Richter für Berlin
The English version is on UA-cam: ua-cam.com/video/Tm0ahfvK4Nw/v-deo.html
Not come across this incident before but honestly........ you couldn't make it up. It brought a smile or two to my face
Fantastic report! Thank you, Andrew!
Insane story, thanks
Lucky break for the 5 who got to defect.
Just imagine: that day must have been a real emotional roller coaster for them. The mild excitement of air travel, followed by the terror of the hijacking, followed by the euphoria of escaping from the “worker’s paradise”. Waking up the next morning must have been crazy too. Looking out the window and being like “holy crap, that all actually happened! I’m in West Berlin! I’m FREEEE!”
Unlike Tegel, which was at the time French military airport, and Gatow, which was British, Tempelhof was not just an American military airport but it was also a civilian airport.
Nope. All civillian air traffic to West Berlin relocated from Tempelhof to Tegel in 1975 after the new terminal building had opened in 1974. Tempelhof was only a US military airfield by the time the hijack happened.
@@KaterChris Ahh, das wusste ich nicht denn ich zog 1971 in die BRD und 1974 nach GB wo ich seitdem lebe
Also, Tegel had civilian traffic starting in about 1960.
US Court by German Law without Schöffen but with a Jury.
... yes ...
Objection! eh.. Einspruch!?
A guy enters the cockpit and points a gun at the pilots. "Fly to Los Angeles," he says.
The captain replies, "what you on about? this is the flight to Los Angeles!"
Hijacker retorts: "Yeah, but I ended up in Cuba three times in a row..."
There were also 2 similar hijackings in Czechoslovakia but also a whole hijacked train to West Germany, I'm sure it would be an interesting video
When did thishappen? Thanks for an answer.
Oh, that was really an exciting story! I am married to an East German man who is now a great Besserwessi. His parents, who come from a tiny village in eastern Germany, would never want to live here. They don't like westy things. It is like it is. There are so many differences that I would never have guessed until I met them. Great story telling video!
5:41 'the judge was American but had to make decisions based on German law.' that is nothing unusual. happens quite often in criminal cases or international tax law. international private law is a different matter
"happens quite often in criminal cases or international tax law"
In what situations would this happen in criminal cases or tax cases?
@@ben8557 every time someone is tried in a German court but the crime happened in another country. the same for other countries, if they follow the rule of law. tax cases: someone is obliged to pay the same kind of tax in two different countries (probably for the same reason); to avoid having to pay taxes twice for the same thing countries try to negotiate tax agreements with other countries but this isn't always the case.
Like ISIS fighters/supporters returning back to their home countries.
Imagine the East Germans on that plane being like "Well, I didn't plan on comitting Republikflucht, but if the opportunity presents itself so readily..."
Interesting story
This should be made into a movie
4:43 "The West German Authorities" - that term oversimplifies the situation. While West Berlin was considered part of West Germany (sort of), it was also still occupied territory under the control of the western Allies (since the Soviets did not agree to end Berlin's occupational status by quadripartite agreement until 1990). Hence, the Grundgesetz was not fully applied and grey areas like this one were allowed to flourish. In certain areas such as gun control and the airports, the West Berlin government was not free to act as they wished.
Indeed, exactly.
Honecker was Honking mad.
Bin ich der einzige, oder hat sich in den letzten Videos ein Echo in die Tonspur eingeschlichen? Neuer Codec oder zu starke Kompression? 🤔
Ich höre auch das Echo.
für mich klingen die letzten beiden Videos 'blechig'.
The judge for that trial, Herbert Jay Stern, wrote a book about it: Judgment in Berlin. The book covers more of the trial and the political implications, a very interesting story.
In eighties was so many plain hijacking from Poland, that LOT (official name of Polish Airlines) was decripted as "Landing On Tempelhof".
Nope. It was, in the Berlin German dialect, „landing ooch Tempelhof“, meaning “landing also (at) Tempelhof.”
Wir in Berlin sagten auch zur LOT Landet ooch in Tempelhof.
Was THF fully closed to civilian service for any period after Tegel opened? I know THF was used by scheduled carriers in the late 1980s.
I remember this story was still often told in the 1980ies whan I was a young Girl. Today it seems only strange and weird - the world has really changed since then!
I do not think it has much to do with it happening in the American Sector of Germany. More with the special situation of West-Berlin, and especially with the specific legal situation considering all air traffic to and from West-Berlin. No German airline was flying there at that time.
Well, sure, but Berlin only HAD an American sector, BECAUSE its status was special, so …
Getting assigned as judge for Europe would be easy they said, just some misdemeanors of drunk GIs they said, you barely need your law degree there they said.
Poor pilots.
Did Poland get their plane back in the end?
And - too bad the marriage only lasted 11 years.
Which is pretty good, actually.
@@johannageisel5390
You're kind of right. The average should only be seven years. This is a pity.
Yes, the plane returned eventually.
It wasn't anything to do with the West German government as the United States was the occupying power, and West Germany didn't have sovereignty over West Berlin, but applying German law. Juries were abolished in Germany under the Weimar Republic.
Nicht wenige DDR Flüchtlinge konnten in der BRD nie Fuß fassen, schwer zu verstehen wegen der durchaus gemeinsamen Kultur, aber es war so.
Ist bis heute so. Die meisten Stimmen, dass wir aktuell in einer "Diktatur" leben, kommen aus der ehem. DDR-Region.
Nicht wenige, steht nicht im Widerspruch zu "weniger als 10%". Sind ja immernoch ein paar 1000. Und das ist dann doch viel weniger unwahrscheinlich.
Da reichen unterschied in "wie rede ich mit meinem Chef", oder "wie geht man mit Geld um".
The whole escape plan was very foolish from the start. As difficult as it was to leave East Germany legally, you could get out relatively easily if you found a westerner who’d marry you. All the two lovebirds would have had to do was to get married.
The only wrinkle: Single parents of minor children needed permission from the other parent before being allowed to emigrate with a child. So Ingrid essentially decided to kidnap her child - something which is a crime essentially in the entire world. East German minors so kidnapped were sent back by West German authorities. Since there was no mention of Ingrid’s daughter being sent back, perhaps her (biological) father wasn’t interested in getting her or was otherwise out of the picture - which only makes Ingrid’s decision to take all these risks even more foolish.
Missing the wonderful time when Berlin was divided. Tegel was still open. You didn't have to work with Ossis who proudly supported the SED, MFS and NVA. And last but not least you got extra bonus , called Berlinzulage, on your salary.
You are waisting my time
Well, one can make everything embarassing for the Stasi, just by calling it so. What was particularly embarassing for the Stasi?
Duh??!!
If one has a job to do , and fails to do it, it's emberassing. Very simple. They didn't see it coming, they didn't prevent it, so they failed.
The Stasi had been tipped off about a possible escape attempt, and so were closely shadowing all the people involved, including Detlev Tiede. Despite that, he was able to buy a fake gun, take it on board a plane, and use it to hijack the plane to make good his escape and that of his accomplice. Not mentioned in the video is eye-witness claims that at least two Stasi agents were in fact on board the plane and yet did nothing to intervene.
@@rewboss
This gives more detailed information and makes your statement not completely out of thin air. Thanks! But even the Stasi couldn't prevent everything they were assigned to.
We had them often in our street observing from neighbouring houses and entering rental apartments of dissidents.