Czechoslovak border fortifications during the Cold War



The borders of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic (CSSR) with Western Europe, especially that with the Federal Republic of Germany, a NATO member (less so with neutral Austria), were until 1989 fortified. The purpose was to prevent citizens of the Eastern Bloc escaping to the West, although official reports stated it was to keep Western Europeans out of the Communist nations. (For example, the East German border fortifications were euphemistically termed an "anti-fascist protection wall" by GDR apparatchiks.) The border system of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic wasn't as elaborate and fortified as that of the German Democratic Republic, but it was considered difficult to cross the border undetected.

After World War II and the division of Germany in 1949, the border areas of Czechoslovakia were already restricted areas. From 1951 onwards, this area was designated by a signal fence some kilometres inside the border, while the border itself was secured by a guarded strip with a single barbed wire fence. This fence, originally an electric fence with a voltage of 5000 V, was replaced starting in 1968 by a double wire mesh fence similar to that used on the Inner German border. In addition, the Czechs fitted their border with watch towers. In contrast with the concrete towers of the East Germans, these towers were usually made of wood or steel framework. In some areas various types of land mine were used, notably PP Mi-Ba, PP Mi-D and PP Mi.

The barrier typically lay around 100 metres inside the actual boundary line. As the fence was not visible from there at some places, it repeatedly occurred that curious or careless West German strollers overlooked border markers and mistakenly entered Czechoslovak territory, which could lead to their arrest.

The Czechs witnessed the drama in West Germany's embassy in Prague, where thousands of East Germans were hiding. This wore down the patience of the Czechoslovak authorities, who eventually gave in, letting all East Germans travel directly to West Germany from 3 November 1989, thus breaking the Iron Curtain.

On 17 November 1989, the Velvet Revolution succeeded. The barbed wire on the borders with East Germany and Austria was removed from 5 December onwards, and from 11 December the Czechoslovak fortifications on the West German border were dismantled.

The Czech Republic, Slovakia, Germany, and Austria are now all part of the Schengen Agreement, which allows border crossing without identity checks.