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History
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armband of a volunteer: "Volunteer
of the border troops " |
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. Already far in the interior of
the country "suspicious citizens" were watched
by police, state security, the authorities and informers.
Millions of tourists who came to the Baltic Sea every year
had to spend their holidays under special duties. Strict
laws regulated the swimming activity, the overnight accommodations,
the obligatory registration and the use of all kinds of
water vehicles.
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Destination of the escapes were the coast of Schleswig-Holstein
and of Denmark which were 40 km away. 38 escape attempts
from Kühlungsborn are described. 15 people reached the
other shore. An unknown number of people died while escaping.
A lot of people were actually already picked up before
they reached the water.
escape routes from Kühlungsborn (among them
as well failures) |
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Already far in the interior of the country suspicious
citizens were watched by police, state security, the
authorities, informers. The spacious frontier protection
system marked the landscape of the Baltic coast. From
over 27 places of observation border soldiers of the "Border
Brigade Coast" kept he coastline and the Baltic
Sea under surveillance. Volunteers supported them with
it.
coat of arms of the GBK Coast |
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| Patrols of soldiers armed with machine guns
paced up and down the beach with German shepherds. Operational
vehicles whit elaborate technology were quickly on the spot
when needed. Mobile floodlights were alternately put up at
different spots of the coast. |
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16 kW searchlight at the beach
promenade, beach patrol |
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border patrol boat |
The naval surveillance of the national 3-mile-zone was
taken on by boats of the type „MSR“ (mine hunter and mine-sweeper)
which searched a specific area at dawn and at night for
escapees. The Border Brigade Coast had control over the
complete sea traffic along the GDR national border. A coastal
patrol vessel of the People‘s Navy was stationed on outpost
in the Fehmarnbelt.
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