Soldier Lifted The Barbwire To Help a Child

Kindness, Kindness - Real-life Examples, Kindness Photos 11 comments
An East German soldier helps a young boy cross the barbed wire which was a marker for where the Berlin wall would soon be built. The guard was caught and immediately punished (which we can assume was by death) So sad.
The photograph was taken the day the emerging Wall was put up in August 1961 and the boy was found on the opposite side of the wall from his family. Despite given orders by the East German government to let no one pass, the soldier helped the boy through the barbwire. Near the exact time this photo was taken, it was said that the soldier was seen by his superior officer who immediately detached the soldier from his unit.

Concerning the fate of the soldier, most descriptions that come with photograph say that “no one knows what became of him.”

11 comments

  1. do you think that probably along the way they killed him? No offense to Germans…but they were really cruel when it came to war.

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  2. I say this with respect addressing the comment about Germans “being really cruel when it came to war”: I’m not German, in fact my ancestors were on the other side during both world wars. People of all nations do cruel things during war. People of all nations also do kind and loving things during war. When people think in terms of “we” instead of “them versus us”, understanding, kindness, compassion, forgiveness, and connection can begin to take root and lead to peace. I believe the soldier in the photo understood this and was willing to risk his life for a cause that is greater than war or nations. May his heroic act be long remembered and inspire others to do the same.

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    1. Thanks Russ.

      From my understanding, men (and women) from all nations are equally cruel in war, and loving in peace. Nationality seems not to matter one jot, best I can tell.

      “Until lions have their historians, tales of the hunt shall always glorify the hunter” ~ African Proverb

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  3. Reblogged this on A Grateful Man and commented:
    When people think in terms of “we” instead of “them versus us”, understanding, kindness, compassion, forgiveness, and connection can begin to take root and lead to peace. I believe the soldier in the photo understood this and was willing to risk his life for a cause that is greater than war or nations. May his heroic act be long remembered and inspire others to do the same.
    With Love,
    Russ

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