The numbers leaving the GDR following the construction of the Wall dropped sharply to several hundred a year as an attempt to flee the GDR via its fortified borders involved considerable personal risk of injury or death.
The numbers leaving the GDR following the construction of the Wall dropped sharply to several hundred a year as "Republikflucht" attempts to leave the Republic constituted a criminal act and carried severe penalties. Moreover, an attempt to flee the GDR via its fortified borders involved considerable personal risk of injury or death.