50. Anniversary of the death of Çetin Mert

The border ran along the West Berlin bank between Oberbaumbrücke and Ostbahnhof, while the Spree belonged to East Berlin. At least 13 people died in this area. Among them were Çetin Mert and three other Kreuzberg children who fell into the river while playing and were not rescued because of the border situation.


Çetin Mert was playing on his fifth birthday, on May 11, 1975, on what was then Gröbenufer, now May-Ayim-Ufer, and fell into the water. Arriving West Berlin rescue workers searched from the shore, but did not venture into the guarded waters. An East Berlin border security boat from the GDR arrived too late. The divers only recovered Çetin Mert dead from the Spree hours later.


Program

Welcome: Anna von Arnim-Rosenthal, Director of the East Side Gallery, Berlin Wall Foundation

Speech: Clara Herrmann, District Mayor of Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg

Reading of the biography of Çetin Mert: Dilek Güngör, journalist & author

Statement: Johanna Schattenmann, Young Professional of the Berlin Wall Foundation

Planting flowers together in remembrance

Music: Pınar Tatlıkazan