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.