Читать книгу Where in the World is the Berlin Wall? - Группа авторов - Страница 9

The foundation of the two German states in 1949 and the escalation of the Cold War had a grave influence on the safeguarding of a demarcation line between the occupation zones in Berlin.⁶

At first, the borders between the occupation zones and the sectors within Berlin only served as governing borders. However, in the course of the political developments, they became much more influential and eventually were real customs and economical borders.

Initially, it was possible to cross the Inner-German demarcation line without major problems, but aside from the official crossing points it was already illegal. As early as 1946, the German Border Police was founded in the SBZ on the basis of a Control Council directive from the SMAD, which was subordinate to Soviet agencies. At the same time, the border between the Soviet and western Zones was closed for three months to curb the huge numbers of people and goods leaving the East. From 1948, so-called border violators were increasingly searched for by the Soviet side. They were trying to curb smuggling and the black market, but also to chase down saboteurs and spies.

From 1950, the border police were given the task of surveying the crossing points. In order to better govern the flow of people moving between the borders, the Soviets introduced border passes in 1946. They were valid for 30 days and were issued for urgent family or business trips. During the Berlin Blockade, the Soviets made it compulsory to also be issued with a temporary residence permit alongside the border pass. By doing this, the aim was to reduce the flow of people travelling between the zones. Crossing the borders illegally was, however, still possible. Many still chose the less dangerous route through Berlin as Berlin was still quite accessible due to its special status.

On 1^st April 1948, on orders from the Soviet zone, a police reform was put in place: a “ring around Berlin” was created along a path of 300 kilometres surrounding the entire city (including West Berlin) and controls were carried out. This made it possible to survey the open border as well as was possible at a time when the migration of people from the Soviet zone of occupation was becoming an ever increasing problem.

When the GDR was formed in October 1949, 1.9 million people had already left for the West.

Conflicting interests from the Soviets on one side, and those from the USA, Great Britain and France on the other prevented a peace treaty from being signed. In 1952, the Soviet Union made a step towards solving the problems caused by conflicting political interests and agendas, and the first Stalin Note was sent. Joseph Stalin, the Soviet head of government, offered reunification in a neutralised all-Germany, with free elections to be held under Allied control. By doing this, he wanted to prevent Germany from becoming part of the Western Defence Alliance. The western Allies rejected his offer as they feared it to be a bluff and saw it instead as an attempt to spread the Soviet influence over Germany.

This rejection of terms, alleged activities of sabotage and the constant migration of people prompted the GDR officials, under Soviet influence, to close the border between the GDR and West Germany in May 1952 and gain control of movement between borders.

The border was now a real Inner-German border. A five-kilometre exclusion zone was set up on the GDR side of the border to secure the 1,378-kilometre-long border – an order from the Soviet occupiers. This area could only be entered or traversed with permission. Meetings and events were prohibited from 10:00pm.

Along the borderline, a ten-metre-wide control strip was ploughed up, and forests in this area were cleared. Behind it, the installation of ramparts, ditches and trip wires with alarms ensued. Ramparts, ditches and alarmed trip wires were installed behind the border. Crossing the ten-metre-long control strip was an arrestable offence. Border police were ordered to shoot those who did not follow their orders. A 500-metre-wide protection strip was closed around the ten-metre stripe in which approximately 110 villages lay. Inhabitants of these villages were subjected to particularly harsh regulations: being outdoors in the 500 metre area was only permitted during the hours of sunlight and all traffic was forbidden after dark and alterations to land was forbidden without permission. Numerous restaurants and hotels were forced to close down after the protection strip had been constructed. Routes along the Brocken Railway, which linked the Harz mountain range in North Germany, had to be closed as the trains were no longer allowed to travel through western territory.

People living in the restricted area were no longer issued with passes to travel between zones, and people from West Germany were also no longer allowed to travel over the five-kilometre-long strip. To put an end to cries of outrage from the people, a special scheme was put into place which saw the forced resettlement of so-called enemies, criminals and “suspicious” people from the protection strip.

“Operation Vermin” was the name given to the actions that saw 11,000 residents forcibly moved out of the border area in a matter of days. Violence was used in part to move these people from their homes.⁷

Not only did these people lose their communities, but also a great deal of their personal possessions. Around 3,000 people avoided forced resettlement by fleeing to the West.

Closing the border also meant closing many transport links. 32 railroad lines, three freeways, 31 trunk and federal roads, 80 first-order country roads, 60 second-order country roads and thousands of local roads were closed.⁸ In the west, a “zone border area” was thus created, which had a negative impact on the economic situation in the areas near the border and on the reality of life for the inhabitants. The West German government created incentive programmes which aimed to help minimise the effect the precarious situation having on the people. People on the GDR side of the border were kept quiet with special discounts and benefits. They were treated to pay rises, tax deductions and improved pensions. They were also supplied with better consumer goods.

In Berlin, too, there were similar incisions when the border was closed in 1952: 200 streets were closed. Almost 75 percent of transport links between West Berlin and the surrounding areas were no longer in use. Control strips were dug up on numerous sites around Potsdam and West Berlin. Vast areas of private land (often belonging to the West) fell victim to securing the border.

Compensatory damages to land owners were few and far between and many landowners received absolutely nothing. As well as the measures being taken along the border, telephone lines and electricity supplies between East and West Berlin were cut off. The GDR wanted an independent infrastructure for East Berlin. However, the number of people leaving East Berlin did not decrease.⁹ Most of the escapees continued to try their luck over the border in Berlin, which remained open. Controversial domestic political situations, like those during collective farming and the forced development of Socialism ahead of the people’s uprising on 17^th June 1953, were reasons for many GDR citizens to leave East Germany.

In 1953, the West German government set up a refugee centre in Marienfelde in West Berlin to help manage the number of people entering. At this refugee centre and other similar centres, refugees had to go through an official procedure. Successful refugees could obtain residency permits and be integrated into West German society.¹⁰

The western powers chose to suspend compulsory inter-zone passes in November 1953 and stopped issuing temporary permits of residence. Therefore, there were no longer restrictions on travel in the West. In contrast, a law passed by the GDR in 1954 made fleeing the GDR illegal.¹¹

Fleeing the GDR was now punishable with up to three years imprisonment. The laws were tightened further in 1957 when preparations to flee and attempted escapes were also made punishable.¹² Restrictions by the GDR officials on approved travel to the West also followed. Permission to travel to the West depended on one’s age and job. Students, for example, were not permitted to travel to West Germany or any western countries.