The Plötzensee prison in Berlin said late Monday that two men had escaped earlier in the day, marking the second jailbreak in less than a week.
Prison authorities sounded the alarm more than half an hour after the prisoners managed to break free.
The latest escape has brought the number of missing prisoners to five. Last week, two prisoners broke out of the prison through a ventilation gap in the wall.
Last week's escapees managed to make a hole in the wall using a power tool stolen from the prison's car repair shop.
Meanwhile, another inmate failed to return by Friday evening after a parole day. The men were reportedly imprisoned for aggravated assault, theft and burglary.
Read more: Former 'Mister Germany' facing life prison for attempted murder of policeman
Security review
At least two of the prisoners were expected to be released by September 2018 while the others were set to be freed by October 2020.
According to authorities, the multiple jailbreaks prompted the prison to conduct an internal security review to determine the circumstances that allowed for multiple incidents.
Read more: Cologne judge clears prison guards in toilet escape case
Roughly 360 prisoners are housed in the jail, which was built in the late 1800s and became notorious during the Nazi regime.
-
Tracing the division of Berlin
East Side Gallery
At 1316 meters along the River Spree, the longest remaining stretch of the Wall is the world's longest open-air gallery. Painted in 1990 by artists from around the globe, it illustrates personal destinies, wishes and dreams. 101 large-format pictures show the way to freedom and the joy at the fall of the Wall. The East Side Gallery was completely restored in 2009.
-
Tracing the division of Berlin
Berlin Wall Memorial
Nowhere is the former "death strip" as vivid as it is here. An 80-meter-long segment of the Wall, including a guard tower, has been reconstructed. The authentic border fortification complex serves as a central monument to the division of Germany. It pays homage to the victims who died or were killed at the Berlin Wall.
-
Tracing the division of Berlin
Traces of the route of the Wall
The Berlin Wall has disappeared almost everywhere in the city. East and West have now grown together. In the city center a strip of cobblestones marks where the Wall used to run.
-
Tracing the division of Berlin
Checkpoint Charlie
This border crossing is among the best-known sights in Berlin. Only foreigners and diplomats were allowed to pass through this checkpoint. In October 1961, shortly after the Wall was built, there was a standoff here as armed Soviet and American tanks stood face-to-face. The situation very nearly escalated.
-
Tracing the division of Berlin
The Palace of Tears
It was a place of tearful farewells. Hundreds of people crossed this border post at Friedrichstrasse station when leaving East Germany for West Berlin. The former departure terminal now serves as a reminder of the forced separation of friends and families. Visitors can walk through an original cubicle where passports were checked and relive the border clearance procedure for themselves.
-
Tracing the division of Berlin
Hohenschönhausen Memorial
This former Stasi prison has been a memorial to the victims of communist dictatorship since 1994. Visitors are informed about the detention conditions and interrogation methods in communist East Germany. Former inmates lead the guided tours.
-
Tracing the division of Berlin
Teufelsberg Listening Station
After World War II, this area was used to deposit debris. Rubble from the war was collected to form the Teufelsberg, the highest elevation in West Berlin. During the Cold War, the US National Security Agency used the hill as a listening station. From here, military radio signals from the Warsaw Pact countries could be intercepted, monitored and jammed.
-
Tracing the division of Berlin
Glienicke Bridge
You might imagine that the exchange of captured spies only took place on the silver screen, but this bridge between Berlin and Potsdam was actually the scene of three such operations. Steven Spielberg used this historic place as a setting in his feature film "Bridge of Spies."
-
Tracing the division of Berlin
German Spy Museum
This interactive museum right near Potsdamer Platz takes visitors into the world of espionage. Special emphasis is placed on activities in Berlin during the Cold War. Among the more than 300 exhibits is an East German Trabant car with infrared cameras hidden in its doors.
-
Tracing the division of Berlin
Berlin Wall Trail
The Berlin Wall Trail follows the path of the former division of the city and covers some 160 kilometers. The Japanese donated some 10,000 cherry trees "to bring peace in the hearts of the people." They were planted in different sections of the former Wall. This avenue is right by Bösebrücke, the first crossing to open on the day the Wall came down.
Author: Philipp Falkenstein (ms)
ls/se (dpa, AFP)
