Escapes and escape attempts from East Germany Escape of the Strelzyk family by a self-made hot-air balloon from Thuringia, East Germany, to Bavaria in 1979 – Picture of the Strelzyk and Wetzel families with the leading actor of the movie ‘Night Crossing’, f.l.t.r.: Petra Wetzel, Doris Strelzyk, actor John Hurt, Günter Wetzel with son Andre, Frank and Peter Strelzyk – date around 1982