In 1979 two families sought to escape East Germany in a hot-air balloon

In 1978 two families hatched a daring plan to escape East Germany: They would build a hot-air balloon and sail it by night across the border. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll follow their struggles to evade the authorities and realize their dream of a new life in the West.

We'll also shuffle some vehicles and puzzle over a perplexing worker.

Show notes

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