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Death Strip.
This well-known feature derived its name from a decree in 1952 that stated any person caught
crossing the finely raked, dirt strip to the West was likely to be shot.
Interestingly, local villagers were sometimes pressed into constructing
the strip during the early years of the border. This 6-10 meter wide
belt clearly defined the border during the early years when fences were not yet
present. It also offered the border guards a way to detect footprints in the
raked dirt. Later as fences were added the Death Strip ran along the
fence, minefield, or control road. It was also referred to as the Control Strip.
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