Subject: [Spridgets] Sprite at Checkpoint Charlie

From: Tim Collins via Spridgets <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 19 Dec 2015 13:21:06 -0500

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In the past I have mentioned the role of a Austin Healey Sprite in
smuggling women from East to West Germany during the time of the Berlin
Wall.

The first person to smuggle his girl to freedom was Heinz Meixner who used
a rented Sprite to smuggle Margarete Thurau (and her mother - his future
mother-in-law. What a guy!) to the West by driving under the checkpoint
gate.

One last time a Sprite was used by Norbert Konrad who smuggled Helga Werner
to freedom. After that the gate was modified so small cars couldn't drive
under it.

Last night by chance, I found a picture of graffiti art on the Berlin Wall
that memorialized the Sprite crossings - at least I believe the artwork is
based on the Sprite story. The artist takes some liberties by showing the
top of the are being severed by the gate, but that part never really
happened. The Sprite passed cleanly under the gate. I thought some Spridget
folks might be interested in the picture so here's a link. Printed stories
about the crossings (in May of 1963) can be found on the web in the Chicago
Trib. and Time Mag.

http://www.pbase.com/barbarajoy/image/161588338

If anyone can translate the German words, please let me know. Google
Translate didn't work very well.

Tim

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<div dir=3D"ltr">In the past I have mentioned the role of a Austin Healey S=
prite in smuggling women from East to West Germany during the time of the B=
erlin Wall.<div><br></div><div>The first person to smuggle his girl to free=
dom was Heinz Meixner who used a rented Sprite to smuggle Margarete Thurau =
(and her mother - his future mother-in-law. What a guy!) to the West by dri=
ving under the checkpoint gate.=C2=A0</div><div><br></div><div>One last tim=
e a Sprite was used by Norbert Konrad who smuggled Helga Werner to freedom.=
 After that the gate was modified so small cars couldn&#39;t drive under it=
.=C2=A0</div><div><br></div><div>Last night by chance, I found a picture of=
 graffiti art on the Berlin Wall that memorialized the Sprite crossings - a=
t least I believe the artwork is based on the Sprite story. The artist take=
s some liberties by showing the top of the are being severed by the gate, b=
ut that part never really happened. The Sprite passed cleanly under the gat=
e. I thought some Spridget folks might be interested in the picture so here=
&#39;s a link. Printed stories about the crossings (in May of 1963) can be =
found on the web in the Chicago Trib. and Time Mag.=C2=A0</div><div><br></d=
iv><div><a href=3D"http://www.pbase.com/barbarajoy/image/161588338" target=
=3D"_blank" style=3D"font-size:16px">http://www.pbase.com/barbarajoy/image/=
161588338</a><br></div><div><br></div><div>If anyone can translate the Germ=
an words, please let me know. Google Translate didn&#39;t work very well.=
=C2=A0</div><div><br></div><div>Tim</div></div>

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