Border fence circa 1960
Barbed wire was the norm during the early years of the border, but even it varied in construction. Initially, the border was fenced with only a single row of wire much like fencing used on American farms and ranches today. Subsequently, concrete poles replaced the wooden fence posts and an additional row of fencing was added to make the barrier more difficult to cross. It’s important to note, though, that even as late as the early 1960’s some sections of the border still had no fencing at all. Although the border had gone through several stages of modernization by 1982, there was still about 55 kilometers of barbed wire in use along the border and 5 kilometers of the wire in Berlin.
Cost: 40,000 Ost Marks per kilometer
This generation of fencing began to appear during the late 1960’s and provided a formidable obstacle for a would be escapee. The fence was placed in double rows and in some areas mines were placed between the fences. The small mesh on the fence made it impossible to gain a handhold for climbing purposes. By the time the border collapsed in 1989 this type of fence was still in use although in some areas it had been reduced to a single row.
This generation of fencing was evident in the early 1970s and appears to be a mixture of the Second and Third generation fence. The most notable difference is the grid support system attached to each pole.- photo "Mitten in Deutschland"
Cost: 115,000 Ost Marks per kilometer
This fence, which began to appear in the early 1970's, was the final and most modern fence employed along the border. It was erected in a single row, but combined with its three meter height and small rigid mesh, it was extremely difficult to climb. It was on the this type of fence the deadly self-firing mines were attached.
Cost: 260,000 Ost Marks per kilometer
Although the concrete walls were primarily used in Berlin, there were also 80 kilometers of walls used on the Landesgrenz. The walls were usually 3.5 - 4.2 meters high and had a rolled top to make it difficult to climb. As an interesting side note, in the unified government's zeal to destroy the hated Berlin Wall, almost all sections of the wall were dismantled and crushed into gravel for road construction. So thorough was the destruction, that now parts of the Wall are now being reconstructed as tourist attractions.
Most of the border fences and walls are gone today with the exception of memorials and museums, but if you look closely you can still find traces of the old fortifications. Driving down a road in a former border village I noticed the fence was recycled as property fences and to protect young trees from animals. In Berlin, you'll need to buy a tourist map that shows the few remaining sections of the Wall.
