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First Generation Tower
(1948-1980s)
As border security
became a stronger concern for the Soviets and East German government, wooden towers
began to appear along the border in 1949. By 1959 there were over 500 of the
towers dotting the landscape along the border. By 1980 there were still 85
wooden or steel towers in use even though newer versions had been
introduced. |
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Second Generation Tower
(1968-1989)
These towers were
constructed as the border fortifications were modernized after the
building of the Berlin Wall. The tower base consisted of 11 prefabricated
rings which were stacked upon each other. By the end of 1969 there
were approximately 45 of these towers along the Landesgrenz. Occasionally
these towers were toppled by high winds and escaped border guards
confirmed they tended to sway even in light winds. |
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Cost: 16,000 DDR |
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Third Generation Tower
(1977-1989)
The square towers began to
replace the older towers as the border security system was modernized a
second time. As you can tell by their appearance the new towers were
sturdier than the earlier Second Generation models.
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Command Tower
(1970s-1989)
The Command Tower was much
larger than the typical observation platform. It could house a small
reaction force and performed command and control functions including
monitoring the Signal Fence and NS 501 mine activations. Equipment within
the tower included communications equipment, maps, and the fence and
mine monitoring devices. |
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Czech Towers. Although not
used on the East German border, a common sight along the Czechoslovakian
border were these transportable, metal towers used by the Czech border
guards. These towers could remain stationary or be moved according to
mission requirements. |
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- photo by Vernon Weisman |
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