In 1979, the whole world watched Naila. On the night of September 16th, two families escaped from East Germany to the West. Peter Strelzyk and Günter Wetzel had meticulously and secretly planned their escape with their families. For months, they clandestinely acquired the necessary materials. Hidden from their neighbors, they tirelessly worked on a balloon until it was functional for their escape. The balloon was 28 meters high and 20 meters wide. The square gondola had sides measuring 1.4 meters.

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SvenN

December 23, 2021

Hiking

This is where the balloon flight of 2 GDR families ended on September 16, 1979

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maria

April 23, 2024

Hiking

On September 16, 1979, the Strelzyk and Wetzel families from Pößneck flew across the inner-German border at night in a homemade hot air balloon. They landed in a field near Naila after a 28-minute flight covering 22 kilometers (as the crow flies). There were four adults and four children on board. The original balloon is on display at the Naila Museum.

Source: de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naila
The story behind it: de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballonflucht

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Details

Informations

Distance 959 m

Uphill 10 m

Downhill 10 m

Weather

Monday 30 March

6°C

0°C

57 %

Additional weather tips

Max wind speed: 15.0 km/h

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Location: Naila, Landkreis Hof, Vogtland, Saxony, Germany

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Landing Site of the 1979 Hot Air Balloon Escape

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