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An creek so shallow you barely got your ankles wet split a settlement for over four decades worth of time. Due to a quirk of geography, the 50 locals of Mödlareuth, a hamlet bordered by pine forests, meadows and spectacular views, found themselves at the heart of the Cold War conflict. They had the unfortunate circumstance to cross Bavaria, in West Germany, and Thuringia in the East, a frontier that was marked first by a enclosure and then by a wall. US troops called it Mini Berlin.

Preserving Historical Events

Months after their own wall was torn down, and prior to their country had reunified in 1990, a assembly of villagers started documenting their heritage. The effort is about to reach completion: on 9 November, the 36th anniversary of the collapse of the German barrier, the Museum of German Division Mödlareuth will begin operations. It was officially opened by the head of state, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, in the first part of October, but the show was not completely prepared. Speaking to the residents who endured the former times, Steinmeier remarked: “You were witnesses of an cruel division, which ripped families asunder and turned neighbors into strangers.”

“You were bystanders of an inhuman separation, which ripped families asunder and turned local residents into foreigners.”

Historical Background

Right from its establishment in 1810, the community spanned the Royal Bavaria and the Princely State of Reuss, a princely house most renowned for bestowing all its men the designation Heinrich and labeling them in order by date of birth. As Steinmeier informed the gathering, the oddity never stood in the way of the residents gathering in the identical pub, visiting the same religious building and placing their children to the identical educational institution.

Following WWII Division

Next arrived the global conflict. Immediately after they came, the Russian troops put up timber poles by the brook. For a annual period they seized the entire village, setting up their headquarters in a dwelling on the Bavarian territory side, adorning it with a picture of Stalin and a communist symbol. The Americans urged them to withdraw across the brook. For a while, locals could still cross over, though as limitations tightened they were obliged to present identity papers, even though everyone knew who they were, and to go back at evening.

Increase of Boundary Restrictions

Then, in 1952, came metal barriers and the official sealing of the border. In 1966, as in Berlin half a decade before, a concrete structure was constructed, with landmines, tank traps and watchtowers. The locals could still see each other by ascending hills, but on the east side signaling and calling out were prohibited. One woman was placed on a Stasi watch list for responding “back at you” to a Bavarian local who greeted her “good new year”.

Museum Creation

I was told accounts such as these by Robert Lebegern, the museum’s director, who has spent a significant portion of his occupational time creating it. Villagers were consulted early on about how much structure they desired to maintain. They chose a portion on the Bavarian fringe, close to where one of their own was able to escape in the middle of the night with a climbing device, following which the border was significantly fortified.

Conserved Structures

2 observation towers are maintained in addition to a series of tableaux depicting the most significant dates in the village’s chronicle. As we walk, Lebergen enumerates the restrictions: nobody could approach 5km of the frontier. Farmers had to obtain specific authorization to care for their produce; the partner could work the harvesting machine but never both, lest they sought to escape. Soldiers kept guard.

Larger Background

The boundary between West Germany and the East Germany stretched nearly 900 miles, from the Baltic coast in the northern part to this location in the southern region. Berlin is recalled and documented the most, but over double the number individuals (more than 300) died attempting to pass over it in rural areas than in the metropolis. Lebegern informs me that 95% of escape attempts did not succeed.

Hamlet Existence

Most of Mödlareuth’s villagers were farmers or craftsmen, who adjusted to living in the grey zone between 2 ideological spheres by staying low-profile and tending to their land. They nor did they supported the East German authorities nor fought it, Lebegern states.

Visitors

For tourists, however, the settlement became a kind of site of interest. About 15k came to see each year, optical devices in hand, to stare – and then quickly leave. In 1983, the US president, George Bush, was shown around by the German defence minister.

Twenty-five years after unification, the television series, a TV series about a made-up community resembling Mödlareuth, caused renewed interest.

Modern Developments

The inauguration of the modern exhibition center – with a restaurant, store, movie theater and large parking lot – is expected to