Border Markers

Along the East/West German Border there were several types of markers and signs that denoted the boundary between the two nations. These markers were designed to show the location of the border so that visitors would not cross the boundary and risk being captured or possibly shot. It's important to keep in mind  the actual border made numerous unexpected twists and turns and was sometimes hard to see especially in wooded areas and in the mountains. In most cases of accidental crossings of short distances the offenders quickly returned without incident after discovering their mistake. 

The signs and markers below are placed in chronological order of their appearance on the border. 

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 Kingdom of Bavaria/Pussia Border Stones.  These border markers  were erected during the 19th Century to mark the borders of Bavaria and Prussia. Since the occupation zones were drawn along Germany's state borders, these stones were used to delineate the border until a joint East/West German survey was completed in 1975. New survey stones were then emplaced.

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 Soviet Zone Border Pole. As the Cold War began to heat up in 1946, these wooden poles were placed along the border to indicate the border of the Soviet Zone. These yellow and white poles marked the border until 1976 when the East German government wanted them replaced to further establish their political legitimacy as an independent nation. A few poles, such as this one, were still in place as late as 1986.

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 Border Sign "Halt! Border Zone" The West German government placed numerous warning signs along the border to help ensure people would not cross the border. These signs were placed along the border to mark the boundary with the soviet occupation zone and were in use until the mid 1970s. 
"Caution - Mined area of the Soviet Zone." This sign was posted on or near the border fence by West German authorities to warn of minefields in the Soviet Zone. This is an old style sign since it mentions the Soviet Zone.
Soviet_mine_v.2.jpg (8143 bytes) "Attention - Danger- Area of Soviet Zone Mines." This is a later version sign warning of minefields in the Soviet Zone. These signs were evident along the border in the early 1970s.
1st_border_post.jpg (8917 bytes) 1st Generation Grenzschild.  In 1967 the East German government began erecting this painted, concrete marker along the border. The marker was painted in the traditional colors of the German flag and was adorned with a metal plaque with the DDR national emblem. This marker was normally offset up to 5 meters from the border and were placed about 450 meters apart from each other within East Germany. 

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 2nd Generation Grenzschild. This version of the Grenzschild began to replace the initial version sometime during the 1970s. This border marker was popular with Westerners since the metal plaque was often vandalized or stolen as a souvenir. One of the tasks of the Grenztruppen was to inspect these poles for vandalism. 
Bluepole.jpg (11377 bytes) Plastic Poles.  The West German government erected these poles to replace the old Soviet zonal markers. The poles were about six feet tall and were made of a durable plastic. The color of the band near the top of the pole changed according to the West German state the pole was in. The blue band signified Bavaria, while a orange-red stripe denoted the state of Hesse. 
Pole.jpg (18140 bytes) Border Signs.  This type of sign was the latest model introduced along the border. There were different signs depending on the situation. This sign states "Halt! Here is the border."     It's interesting to note in this photo the old white and yellow band painted on the concrete curb denoting the old Soviet Zone.

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 Survey Stone. These granite survey markers were set along the border by a joint East/West German survey accomplished during the 1970s to determine the exact border. These stones were considered the final word as  location of the border. On one side of the stone were engraved the letters "DDR" signifying East Germany.
50 Meter Sign. This sign was posted to warn American patrols and vehicles they were nearing the border. At various times since 1946, American vehicles had accidentally crossed the border, so these signs served as an initial warning the border was near. 

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 1 Kilometer Sign - East Germany.. This sign was posted by U.S. forces one kilometer from the border to warn American military personnel they were approaching the border area. Only military personnel conducting patrols within the 1 Kilometer Zone were allowed admittance to this area.
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1 Kilometer Sign - Czechoslovakia.. This sign was posted one kilometer from the Czech border to warn American military personnel they were approaching the border area. Only military personnel conducting patrols within the 1 Kilometer Zone were allowed admittance to this area.

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"Attention! The middle of the stream is the border." This is a variation of the latest type border sign in use when the border collapsed in 1989. This sign was used when a stream or river marked the border.  Although the sign was placed on the West German bank, the actual border was in the middle of the stream.

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  "Attention Mines! Danger! " This warning sign was the last type posted when the minefields were removed from 1984-1985. It no longer mentions the Soviet Zone. 

Berlin Zonal Boundary. This sign was one of several types erected in Berlin to indicate the boundaries of the American Occupation Zone. The sign was posted in the languages of the four Occupation Armies.

East German Border Sign. This sign was used to mark the restricted five kilometer wide zone known as the Hinterland or Sperrzone.  Residents carried a special pass and visitors had to have special permission from the police and the local border commander.

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 East German Border Sign. This sign was used to mark the restricted 500 Meter Zone known as the Schutzstreifen (Protective Strip). Access into this zone was heavily controlled and was usually restricted to work details.

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 East German - Czech/Polish Border Sign. This sign was used to mark the borders with the neighboring Warsaw Pact countries of Czechoslovakia and Poland. These borders there were not fortified and were patrolled less stringently.