Chronicle of the Berlin Wall 1974 | Chronicle of the Wall

3 May
1974

In view of the high number of escape attempts (3,004) in 1973 (1972: 2,699) and 242 successful "border breakthroughs", Erich Honecker reaffirms the order to shoot to kill: "A perfectly clear view of the target must be guaranteed everywhere (…); more
Rules for the use of firearms by GDR border troops in the order 018/0/008, 1974 (excerpt in German)Minutes of the 45th meeting of the National Defence Council of the GDR, 3 May 1974 (excerpt in German)
8 May
1974

German-German sports agreement between the "Deutscher Sportbund" ("German Sports Federation") (DSB) and the "Deutscher Turn- und Sportbund" ("German Gymnastics and Sports Federation") (DTSB). The agreement includes 33 planned joint events.
15/16 May
1974

The FDP politician and former foreign minister Walter Scheel is elected as new West German president. The following day, Helmut Schmidt is elected Chancellor by the German Bundestag.

RIAS report on the election of Helmut Schmidt as Chancellor, 16 May 1974 (in German) (Source: Archiv Deutschlandradio, Broadcast: Rundschau am Mittag, Moderator/Reporter: Jürgen Schiller, Jürgen Rusche)

Statement by CDU chairman Helmut Kohl and CSU chairman Franz Josef Strauss on the election of Helmut Schmidt as Chancellor, 16 May 1974 (in German) (Source: Archiv Deutschlandradio, Broadcast: Rundschau am Mittag, Moderator/Reporter: Jürgen Schiller, Jürgen Rusche)

Chronicle 1974