Train to freedom

It is the beginning of one of the most significant events in German post-war history.
That very evening, the first train is due to leave Prague for West Germany.
But what then becomes known causes horror: The trains were to take a detour.
They have to pass through the GDR.

A time of fear and hope now begins for the embassy refugees.
Hardly any of the passengers will ever forget the next six hours on the train.
Stasi agents board and collect the passports, people try to get on the train, some climb into the carriages through the narrow windows.
Wherever the train stops, there are riots, brawls and arrests.
At 6 a.m., the first train finally reaches its destination in Hof - in West Germany.
The exhausted and at the same time overjoyed refugees lie in each other's arms, crying.
Helpers in Hof welcome them and provide them with food, drink and accommodation.

In the 90-minute docu-drama "Train to Freedom", we retell the historical event that played a key role in shaping the path to German reunification.
The film will focus on the perspective of the people who sat on the trains and had to hope that their departure would not be stopped prematurely.
The film will be made up of high-quality archive material, interviews with contemporary witnesses and re-enactments.