Wolfgang Engels

Wolfgang Engels (born 1943 in Düsseldorf) is a former East German soldier. In April 1963, on the eve of May Day celebrations, he rammed a stolen armoured personnel carrier (APC) into the Berlin Wall in an attempt to escape into West Berlin. The APC did not fully penetrate the wall, so Engels exited the vehicle and was shot twice while struggling to free himself from barbed wire. He was pulled to safety by West Berliners and taken to a nearby bar. He would later recover from his wounds in a West German hospital. He became a teacher for history and biology in Soltau.