Border installations Behrungen
The border installations at Behrungen encompass the complete border graduation of the former inner-German border . Here, the border structure of the early 1950s and the different structuring of the border graduation up to 1989 can be fully traced by means of listed building and ground monuments.
In the former border section 44, significant remains of the border fortifications of the GDR and control facilities of the Bavarian state border have been preserved. In 2002 the entire area was placed under state monument protection as a cultural monument ensemble . In 2005, it was also designated as a ground monument for parts of the border fortifications. In 2002, the Thuringian Ministry of Agriculture, Nature Conservation and the Environment was awarded the " Bat friendly" badge .
The border installations at Behrungen are located directly on the route of the Adventure Route of German Unity .
description
Part of the inner-German border
The border installations at Behrungen include extensive relics of the former inner-German border and the Bavarian state border. In addition to the close-meshed DDR border, with landmarks is provided the Urvermessung (1861 and 1908) as well as granite landmarks of the DDR, moreover, the are Kolonnenweg , the six meter wide track securing strip (was weekly from 2 to 3 times harrowed ), the vehicle -Sperrgraben , the fence system and remains of the minefield as well as the upstream sovereign territory with several GDR border pillars . At prominent places there are two earth positions that were created for border clearing to the west.
From the early 1950s and 1960s, a path interruption ( ditch ) and the barred piping of the "Bahra" stream through the minefield date back to this area . Furthermore, optical border markings (border ditches and gradations) of the state border in connection with the former evidence security strip have been preserved.
Section GDR protective strips
The former GDR protective strip, which was 500 meters wide at this point, can still be seen very well. Here is a border tower (built in 1981), which served as a command post. In addition, the Kolonnenweg, remains of the border reporting network (connection options) with post, marker stones and two earth observation bunkers have been preserved. There are several observation and security positions facing the border signal and barrier fence. The border signal and locking fence around 30 meters further at the original location and the former passage gate No. 21 with switchgear, field display and electrical distributors form the former first blocking element of the GDR border security towards the west.
Part of the GDR border area
In the widely ramified border area of this region, earth positions of the Soviet army from the early 1950s, earth observation and defense positions of the GDR border troops , listening posts and the remains of a field guard from the 1960s have been preserved. In the nearby village of Behrungen in Thuringia, there is still the site of the former border company 2 as well as buildings of the former GDR border police from the 1950s.
Part of the Bavarian border
At the intersection of the former border line d to e, there is an information point of the Federal Border Guard on Bavarian territory with markings and information on the Bavarian state border. One of the few originally preserved Bavarian border information points can still be found in the neighboring Bavarian border town of Rappershausen .
History of origin
After the fall of the Berlin Wall on November 9, 1989, the GDR border was no longer important. During the dismantling work on the border fortifications in the early 1990s, parts of the border system were preserved near the village of Behrungen / Thuringia. In the following years these relics of the former border fell into oblivion and were left to decay. Almost ten years later, members of the Erhard family rediscovered this evidence of the division of Germany. Since then, her concern has been to convey the former division of Germany by means of original, listed border installations. In 1999 the border tower was bought and renovated. In 2001 the border signal fence was purchased , and in the following year the former inner-German border and other core areas of the area were acquired. After the renovation, the border system was presented to the responsible monument authorities for protection as an architectural monument and ground monument. Today the border system at Behrungen is one of the largest in terms of area as a building and ground monument state-protected border systems along the former inner-German border . The sponsorship of the border facility at Behrungen lies with the German Board of Trustees for the Promotion of Science, Education and Culture. V. Part of the memorial complex near Behrungen is used as a German-German open-air museum / memorial for tours and excursions.