On August 13, 1961, Germany erected a barbed wire fence to divide Berlin in two. We’ve already covered some of the most depressing stories from what became the Berlin Wall. The photograph above is more bittersweet. The soldier is a guard from the East, under strict orders not to allow anyone across the new border. The child is a young boy separated from his parents and desperate to cross into the West.
By reaching over to lift the boy to where he wants to be, the soldier is taking a risk—and the way he looks over his shoulder makes it clear he knows he shouldn’t be doing it. But the soldier lifts the boy across anyway.
After the photo was taken, the child got free, but the soldier was seen and removed from duty right after. No one has been able to find out what happened to him. While we can hope his punishment wasn’t too severe, we can’t be certain.