what it was like tolive closetotheinner Germanborder. West experiences with therigidGDR border regime andshows 2004. Together they provide acomprehensive view of East- fortifications, becameapartof theMarienbornMemorialin Hötensleben, thelargest example of preserved GDRborder for out-of-school learningexperiences. The Border Memorial and research, andisnow oneof themostimportantplaces historical andpoliticaleducation,internationalexchanges exhibition andeducational work, hasbecomeasitefor Since itsfounding in1996,thememorial,through itsongoing travellers isondisplay intheoriginalpassportcontrol rooms. inspection procedures andhow they were experiencedby for temporary exhibitions. A second exhibition aboutborder regime, the visitors information centre andadditionalrooms on thehistoryof theborder crossing siteandtheGDRborder The former servicebuildingcontainsthepermanentexhibition visited onafree guidedtour. control are alsofreely accessible. The commandtower canbe in itsoriginalstate,andtheprocessing barracks of passport currency exchange office of theGDRnationalbank,preserved as well asthe customs area with itsinspectiongarages. The historic processing area for cars andtrucks enteringtheGDR Visitors canexplore thememorialontheir own and view the to DividedGermany Marienborn Memorial Viewing theSite

Label within theIron CurtainNetwork in2011. sites were awarded theEuropean Heritage also apartof the memorialcomplex.Both (BKM). The Border Memorial Hötenslebenis Commissioner for Culture andtheMedia Foundation. Itisfundedinpartby the­ is partof theSachsen-AnhaltMemorials The MarienbornMemorialtoDividedGermany www.erinnern.org [email protected] Fax: +4939406 - 9209-9 Tel.: +4939406 - 9209-0 An der BAB 2|39365Marienborn Gedenkstätte Deutsche Teilung Marienborn Stiftung Gedenkstätten Sachsen-Anhalt Daily from 10a.m. to5p.m. Contact hours Opening GedenkstaetteMarienborn

Federal

Gestaltung: 2019 EN iie Gray ­Divided Memorial to discontinued at midnighton30 June 1990. crossing siteunrestricted. The checks inMarienborn were the GDR were abletopassthrough theMarienbornborder When theborder openedon9November 1989,thepeoplefrom civilian workers – worked attheborder crossing. Border Troops, passportcontrol andcustomsofficers, and travellers were processed here. Some1,000people–including was created. Inthe years 1985to1989alone,34.6million into effect in1972,anew, muchlarger border crossing site passenger traffic increased andthe Transit Agreement went at defending against“hostile” influences from the West. As checks attheMarienbornborder crossing site were aimed border regime with barbed wire, signalfences and mines. The In May 1952,theGDRgovernment establishedadeadly control of operations attheMarienborncheckpointin1950. Western Allies travelling todividedBerlin. The GDRtook on1 July 1945.It was thesoleaccesspointfor checkpoint /MarienbornontheHannover- The victorious powers of World War IIestablishedthe Allied of theGDRborder regime.a consequence homes, experiencedsuffering or injustice,or were killedas 1996. Itisaplacetocommemorate those who losttheir on thegrounds of thisunusualhistoricsiteon13 August blocs. The MarienbornMemorialtoDividedGermany opened divided allof Europe andthe world into two opposingpower that notonlyseparated Germansfrom Germans,butalso the heavily monitored border between two politicalsystems of lamppostson thegrounds of thecontrol area reflects border. The emblematicarchitecture of large roofs androws and mostimportantborder crossing ontheinner German crossing site(GÜSt) Marienborndeveloped into thelargest at themeetingpointbetween Eastand West, the GDR border distinctive commemorative sitesof Germandivision.Situated The Helmstedt/Marienbornborder crossing isoneof themost History oftheSite and LearningaboutHistory Site ofCommemoration, Exchange MAP KEY 14 18 22 Sliding Barrier / Four massive sliding barriers were designed to X-Ray Screening / In the 1980s, employees of the Ministry for State Entrance South / Visitor parking is located at the former employee­ 01 Entrance West / The entrance to the memorial is located in the prevent vehicles from crashing through the border. The sliding barriers Security (MfS) used radioactive sources to screen vehicles. entrance to the GÜSt. This is where you can learn more about the were originally positioned at the GÜSt exit to the West. role of the border crossing site during the East-West conflict from area for entry inspections at the former centre of the Marienborn 19 Cattle Stalls and Blasting Pit / The cattle enclosure was a quarantine 1945 to 1990. border crossing site (GÜSt). This is where you can learn more about 15 Observation Bridge / Border soldiers on the observation bridge area for farm animals. The border crossing site contained several blasting the border crossing site during the East-West conflict from 1945 23 searched for people hiding on trucks that were leaving the GDR. pits for explosives and munitions. Access Control / Employees of the Ministry for State Security to 1990. checked people entering the control territory. 16 Soviet Allied Control / In this separate clearance area, members of 20 Utility Tunnel / An accessible tunnel with cables and pipes for power, 02  Passport Conveyor Belt / Conveyor belts transported travel- the Soviet Army inspected military vehicles and military personnel from water, sewage, telecommunication and heating ran beneath the grounds 24 Multipurpose Building and Garage Complex / The building lers’ documents to the passport and identity check in the control the three Western Allies and the Soviet Union. of the border crossing site. contained offices, conference and functional rooms. The business barracks. and service vehicles were parked in the garages. 17 21 Command Tower / All information came together in the command Veterinary Inspection / Commercial animal transports and pets being 03 Passport Inspection for Automobile Entry / Employees of the 25 centre where the GDR Border Troops officer was on duty. Barriers and brought into the GDR were inspected in this clearance area. Transformer Station and Boiler House / Electricity for the Ministry for State Security checked travellers entering the GDR and traffic lights were controlled from here. GÜSt came from the public mains. When a power failure occurred, in transit to . electricity was provided by an emergency generator. 04 Control Grounds / For the GDR, the border crossing presented a “gateway” through which all perceived or real opponents had to pass. Map of Hannover 16 Stopping escapes to the West was of utmost importance, which is Berlin why extensive inspections were conducted. Grounds 17 05 14 Passport and Customs Inspection for Truck Entry / During inspections of trucks entering the GDR, passport inspectors and 15 customs officials searched for illegally imported goods. 18 06 13 GDR Customs / Customs officials searched for media, objects and consumer articles that were banned from import. The permanent 12 Exhibition 19 exhibition on GDR Customs is presented in the historic rooms. 10 07 Inspection Garage for Cars leaving the GDR / In the exit area, 08 customs searched specifically for refugees hiding in vehicles. 07 11 06 08 Customs Inspection of Entry Cars / Customs checked whether 09 travellers were bringing in banned goods or currencies. Western 20 newspapers, literature and other publications were confiscated. 21 09 GÜSt employees bought food in the canteen during their Canteen /  01 breaks. This room is now a place of quiet for individual reflection and prayer. Rest Stop 04 10 Customs Inspection and Transfer Garage / The garage building 22 was used to inspect sick or deceased persons being transferred to 23 the Federal Republic or the GDR. Entrance 24 11 Currency Exchange Office of the GDR National Bank / Everyone WEST 05 03 travelling to the GDR had to exchange a set amount of German marks into GDR currency for each day of their visit. Entrance South 12 Office Building (exhibition) / The Office building contained the offices of the head of the Passport Control Unit (PKE) of the Ministry 02 for State Security (MfS), as well as the offices of GDR Customs and Border Troops. Today the permanent exhibition and visitors centre 25 are located here.

13 Former Exit Area / The clearance area for cars leaving for the Memorial to Federal Republic was torn down in autumn 1995. Divided­ Germany