At the age of 17, Kukuczka was recruited to participate in the construction of Nowa Huta, a socialist model city on the eastern outskirts of Kraków being built by the Polish People's Republic, but soon returned home disillusioned with his work there.

He would be hosted by Colonel Maksymilian Karnowski, a member of the East Berlin operational group of the Polish Ministry of the Interior (MSW), and an employee named Olszewski.

Further in his conversation, Kukuczka indicated wishing to immigrate to the United States where he had aunts, and according to documents found on his person their address was in the city of Hollywood, Florida.

[1][2][3] Kukuczka departed the Polish Embassy at 2:40 PM with the necessary documents, and was transported to Bahnhof Friedrichstraße by a car belonging to the Stasi, the East German secret police.

While most persons injured at the Berlin Wall were normally taken to the nearby Krankenhaus der Volkspolizei (Hospital of the People's Police), Kukuczka was taken instead to the infirmary in the Stasi prison at Hohenschönhausen, 10 kilometers away.