On January 31, 1951 (before the erection of Inner German border), a 10-year old boy, Harry Krause was shot dead when ice-skating on the frozen lake with friends, when he strayed too close to the Western coast.

However, on that day, a new border guard, 18-year old Hauptwachtmeister Otto R. had been on duty, and upon spotting Krause, ran off, while unlocking his carbine to fire a warning shot.

Krause's parents only learned about his death through his friends, and his father brought his corpse back across the lake two days later on a sledge.

Otto R. was given a disciplinary punishment of ten days' arrest and then transferred, but interventions were made as far as the Ministry of Justice and the Secretary of State in order to avert criminal proceedings against him (as shooting at children was actually forbidden at the time).

On November 17, 1951, Stasi met with Krause's parents and offered them hush money, but they refused, with his father accusing the Grenztruppen and the public prosecutor of covering up his son's death.