Johann Dick
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Johann Dick (23 March 1927–September 18, 1986) was a citizen of West Germany shot on Czechoslovakian border by soldiers from Czechoslovakian Border Guard (Pohraniční stráž).
Johann Dick, living in Bavaria, was a former soldier. Tourist tours around Bavarian border were his hobby during retirement. On September 18, 1986 two Poles attempted to escape into West Germany through the area where Dick was walking (one had succeeded). Eight guards, hunting the escapees run into Dick, started to fire and wounded him fatally. Later, the guards found they stepped 200 meters into Bavaria and that the person is someone else. They dragged Dick into Czechoslovakia where he died during transport to the hospital.
The incident grew into international scandal. Czechoslovakia first claimed that Dick crossed the border and that he was shot by Germans but the left evidence confuted it. President of Czechoslovakia Gustav Husák apologized, Dick's widow was given compensation of 100,000 German mark and the guards were punished, though very leniently (14 days in prison was the longest).
In 2001 the case was reopened. The three accused soldiers were eventually let free as it was impossible to prove who exactly shot the tourist.
[edit] References
- Luděk Navara: "Příběhy železné opony" (Stories from Iron Curtain), Brno 2004, ISBN 80-7294-135-6 (p. 156-167)
[edit] External links
- Short overview of the event (in Czech)
- More detailed description (in Czech)
