Border History - Grenzturm e.V.

Beach with pier around 1925
Boardwalk of Baltic Sea Side Resort Arendsee (now Kühlungsborn West) around 1900
Hotel “Hansahaus“, still existing, Baltic Sea Side Resort Arendsee around 1900 (now Kühlungsborn West)
Pier with steamboat in Baltic Sea Side Resort Brunshaupten ( now Kühlungsborn Ost) around 1883
Pier with steamboat in Baltic Sea Side Resort Kühlungsborn Ost, 1938
Postcard Beach Kühlungsborn 1955
Postcard Kühlungsborn with Pier Kühlungsborn West
Postcard Kühlungsborn , GDR (East Germany)
Border regulations (1982)
Border Watch in front of Military Barrack “Fiete Schulze”
Deployments of Border Ships
GDR border soldiers controle fishing boats
Armed border soldiers patrole the beach
Sailor on a border ship observes the sea
Border ship of an older type
Mobile search light oft he border brigade
Loading of beach chairs (Strandkorb), GDR times
Postcard of the new building FDGB Hotel “Ernst Grube”, GDR
Beach life 1981, GDR
Indoor Seawater swimmingpool Kühlungsborn, GDR times
Inside view FDGB Hotel „Mühlsen“, Kühlungsborn Ost, GDR times
Event programme FDGB Feriendienst , Kühlungsborn, GDR times
FDGB Feriendienst Propaganda flyer, Kühlungsborn, GDR times
Sand castle with GDR Propaganda, Kühlungsborn, GDR times

History

Between 1961 and 1989 the Border Brigade Coast was stationed in Kühlungsborn. For nearly 40 years residents and visitors had to put up with a deterrent control system that should prevent escape attempts. Millions of tourists who came to the Baltic Sea every year had to spend their holidays under special conditions. Strict laws regulated the swimming activity, the overnight accommodations, the obligatory registration and the use of all kinds of water vehicles. Destination of the escapes was the coast of Schleswig-Holstein in West Germany and also Denmark which was 40 km away. The Baltic Border was military surveilled through the Border Brigade Coast as well as through Civil surveillance with the help of Stasi, local authorities and border volunteers.

Military Surveillance

The frontier protection system marked the landscape of the Baltic coast. From over 27 places of observation border soldiers of the "Border Brigade Coast" kept the coastline and the Baltic Sea under surveillance. They were supported by volunteers. Patrols of soldiers armed with machine guns paced up and down the beach with German shepherds. Operational vehicles with elaborate technology were quickly on the spot when needed. Mobile floodlights were alternately put up at different spots of the coast. An elaborated logistic and the Border Eine ausgeklügelte Logistik und das „Grenzmeldenetz“ half, die Streitkräfte auf See und Land sowie die Grenzhelfer zu koordinieren.

Civil Surveillance

Already far in the interior of the country "suspicious citizens" were watched by police, state security, the authorities and informers.

The Border decree „Grenzordnung“ regulated the everyday life and tourism activities at the Baltic Border. The Town Council, local companies, schools and institutions cooperated in the so called GrenzAG (Borderworkgroup) Civil border volunteers supported the Borderbrigade by patroling at the bach and supplying informations regarding suspects.