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.

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.