WANTED POSTER FOR BERLIN WALL KILLER

WANTED POSTER FOR BERLIN WALL KILLER
Wanted poster published by West Germany in 1961, '10 000 DM (West) Reward - Who knows the pictured person? Who saw the escape process?'. Roland Hoff was killed on August 29, 1961 by an East German border guard while trying to cross the canal. West Germany made this poster wanting to bring justice to the guard who shot him. The East German authorities had long known the identity of the deceased by then, but they did not reveal his name for decades. Not until the East German archives were made accessible was it discovered that the man whose escape attempt ended fatally on this late summer day was the 27-year-old Roland Hoff. In the western media and in commentaries the shots were unanimously condemned and the brutality of the act was criticized. In response to this most recent fatality the West Berlin authorities conducted an investigation of the alleged criminals and would continue to do so in every case that followed. A reward of 10,000 German marks was offered for tips that would lead to the identification of the perpetrators in this unprecedented search operation. A wanted poster showing one of the marksmen was hung at many places along the Wall as a deterrent. Minor tears at top margin. Poster dated 1961. 23.5 x 33 inches.