‘Death strip’ wins one-man war

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34152, 13 May 1976, Page 11

‘Death strip’ wins one-man war

(By GEORGE THOMSON, of the Observer Foreign News Service) BONN. A burst of gunfire has rid the East German Communist regime of one of its most embittered enemies, a man who reached the West last year under a scheme in which the Bonn Government pays cash for the freedom of political prisoners in East Germany.

Michael Gartenshlaeger, aged 32, an engineer, was killed by East German border guards as he tried to dismantle one of the deadly scatter-guns set up along the border “death strip” to foil escape attempts from East Germany. Only five weeks ago, Mr Gartenshlaeger caused a sensation when he walked into the offices of the Hamburg news magazine, “Der Spiegel,” and presented journalists with a complete automatic firing device which he removed from the strip at risk of death the previous night. It can now be revealed that Mr Gartenshlaeger was the anonymous informant who provided the “Observer” with details of the controversial “humans-for-cash” scheme last year.

Mr Gartenshlaeger indicated to the “Observer” at that time that he was planning spectacular action against East Germany to support his campaign for the release to the West of his fiancee. She is believed to be still in prison for female political offenders in East Germany. 180 victims It is obvious that his expert knowledge of the “death strip” and its killing devices gave him the courage to launch his one-man war on the scatter guns, which already have killed and maimed countless escaping refugees. A Bonn Government official says that at least 180 escaping refugees have been killed along hte East-West border in Germany and Berlin.

Bonn Government officials would not speculate on the possibility that East German border guards had been under orders to kill Mr Garenshlaeger. But they said it appeared unusual that the Communists had opened fire on someone who plainly had not come from their own side of the strip. Condemning the latest killing, the Bonn Ministry for Intra-German Affairs said in a statement: “Even if this apparent new attempt to remove a firing apparatus from the fortification complex of East Germany can only be described as an irresponsible risk, the completely inappropriate action pletely inappropriate action of East German frontier organs must be condemned in the sharpest terms. But above all, the reason for the tragedy lies wholly in the terrible presence of border fortifications with which noone among us can come to terms.” 1 — O.F.N.S. Copyright.