Deutsche Teilung: Mit Zoll & BGS unterwegs im Harz

A rare glimpse into the everyday life of customs and the Federal Security Service (BGS) in the late 1970s: forbidden gestures, deadly dangers, and a system of strict isolation on the inner-German border. August 9, 1978: In the third part of Ralph Giordano's documentary "Grenze '78," the film crew accompanies customs officer Klaus Klinke on a patrol along the inner-German border in the Hohegeiß area. Klinke, the son of a customs officer, has been serving here for three years. He explains the structure and function of the distinctive round GDR observation towers. These BT-11 ("Concrete Tower 11"), consisting of eleven stacked sewer pipes, were gradually replaced by square watchtowers that were more stable and less vulnerable to storms. Klinke also explains the significance of the GDR border posts with their emblem and the striking iron spikes on the posts. The latter are intended to prevent birds from perching on the pillars and soiling them. These small details demonstrate how highly organized and yet inhumane the border system was – right down to the guard dogs at the last barrier fence, which were deployed at the border installations during the snow-free months to bark at or attack refugees. During the winter months, they are collected and housed in unknown locations. The conversation also reveals how well the Federal Security Service (BGS) and customs knew their terrain: every path, every tree and bush, every slight change had to be recorded in order to assess how the GDR was further perfecting its barrier system. Personal contact with the GDR border troops was unthinkable at that time. Klinke remembers that as a young boy in the 1950s, it was still possible to exchange a few words with People's Police officers on the other side of the fence. But now there is total lack of contact – even a casual remark about the time is considered "Western contact" on the eastern side and is strictly forbidden for members of the NVA troops. Small gestures of humanity are rare: Some GDR border guards serving here use a ruler to indicate how many days they have left until discharge. Communication is limited. A BGS officer describes his happiest experience at the border: how he was able to welcome a refugee on West German territory who had been traveling for three days in the GDR restricted border zone and ultimately even managed to overcome the dangerous barrier system unharmed. Ralph Giordano's research also reveals some sad statistics: Between 1962 and 1978, six people were killed on the 25 kilometers of this border section in the Harz Mountains alone – three by gunfire, two by mines, and one by the dreaded SM-70 automatic firing device. Two other GDR refugees were injured. On August 10, the last day of the first shooting phase, the crew filmed in front of a newly built square tower. Long telephoto lenses created what Giordano calls the "zoo effect": Germans staring at Germans – on both sides of the fence. A forbidden greeting from an East German worker, who only briefly lifted his cap, became for the reporter a symbol of the entire East German tragedy: a moment of humanity that was not allowed to happen and, if discovered, would have been immediately sanctioned by the East German authorities. The filmmaker's summary at the end of this first week of shooting is marked by profound shock. The border, with its mines, dogs, and automatic shooting devices, is not only a political dividing line, but has long since invaded the author's dreams and inner life. It creates an oppressive muteness that distorts even words and suppresses human emotions. Giordano briefly considers abandoning the project - fortunately, the journalist and Holocaust survivor then continues... 🎥 Source: Sender Freies Berlin (SFB) 📼 VHS recording, digitized and posted online for the preservation of contemporary historical documents. #GDR #Border #Hohegeiß #BT11 #Customs #BGS #ContemporaryHistory #Wall #Escape #BorderHistory #Harz #Escape #SM70 #Mines #BorderFence