Cengaver Katrancı
|
---|
Born
| 1964
|
---|
Died
| 30 October 1972
|
---|
Cause of death
| Drowned in the Spree
|
---|
Resting place
| Ankara
,
Turkey
|
---|
Cengaver Katrancı
[1]
(1964 ? October 30, 1972)
[2]
was a
Turkish
boy, who lived in
West Berlin
, in district of
Kreuzberg
. He drowned in the river
Spree
, which at the time and in this place was a border between
East
and West Berlin. In view of the circumstances surrounding the accident Cengaver Katrancı is one of the youngest victims of the
Berlin Wall's
existence.
[3]
The circumstances of accident
[
edit
]
Cengaver Katrancı (4th picture from the bottom) on the memorial plaque at the May-Ayim-Ufer.
On 30 October 1972, at approximately 13:00,
[2]
[4]
eight-year-old Cengaver Katrancı, together with a friend, were feeding swans on the River Spree (Grobenufer street,
[2]
currently May-Ayim-Ufer). Katrancı lost his balance and fell into the river, which was, at this section, part of the
Friedrichshain
district of
East Berlin
.
[2]
A fisherman was present, but offered no assistance for fear that doing so would be treated as a violation of the
GDR
border and, therefore, the East German guards could shoot him.
[5]
A West Berlin fire department, including two divers, was alerted, but could not intervene after they unsuccessfully attempted to obtain permission for the entry into the river.
[4]
An East German fire boat and a tanker were also present, but did not take the rescue operation.
[4]
Despite people on the west side crying out to them for help, they also chose not to violate the forbidden zone without permission to get close to the western waterfront. Approx 13:30 West Berlin police car arrived.
[4]
Following negotiations with the border guard officer at
Oberbaum Bridge
, around 14:30, an East German rescue boat began searching for the boy.
[5]
About half an hour later his body was taken out of water.
[2]
That evening the boy's mother received an entry permit for East Berlin in order to receive his body. Identifying remains was performed at the Institute of Forensic Medicine
Charite
. In accordance with the wishes of his mother, Cengaver Katrancı was buried in
Ankara
, in
Turkey
.
[2]
He had three siblings.
[4]
Other victims
[
edit
]
Embankment on the May-Ayim-Ufer (formerly Grobenufer) in Kreuzberg.
Oberbaum Bridge
in the distance.
Cengaver Katrancı was a second of the five children (first 6 year old Andreas Senk),
[6]
who died in similar circumstances in the same place or nearby. The remaining three children: 5 year old Siegfried Kroboth, 6 year old Giuseppe Savoca and 5 year old Cetin Mert.
[3]
[7]
Legal consequences
[
edit
]
After this accident, West Berlin Senate has taken the negotiations with the GDR with the result, that in 1975 entered into force the treaty between the two German countries on cooperation in rescue operations at boundary waters.
[2]
[4]
See also
[
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]
References
[
edit
]