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The fortifications of the inner German border comprised a complex system of interlocking fortifications and security zones long and several kilometres deep, running from the Baltic Sea to Czechoslovakia. The outer fences and walls were the most familiar and visible aspect of the system for Western visitors to the border zone, but they were merely the final obstacle for a would-be escapee from East Germany. The complexity of the border system increased steadily until it reached its full extent in the early 1980s. The following description and the accompanying diagram describe the border as it was around 1980. Travelling notionally from east to west,〔Because of the changes in direction of the border, it could also be crossed north to south, south to north or even west to east in some places.〕 an escapee would first reach the edge of the restricted zone (''Sperrzone''), a closely controlled strip of land 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) wide, running parallel with the border. Evading the patrols and watchful inhabitants of the ''Sperrzone'', the escapee would have reached the first of the border fences. The signal fence (''Signalzaun''), around from the actual border, was lined with low-voltage electrified barbed wire which activated alarms when touched or cut. Beyond the signal fence was the "protective strip" (''Schutzstreifen''). It was brightly lit by floodlights in many places to reduce an escapee's chances of using the cover of darkness. Guard towers, bunkers and dog runs were positioned at frequent intervals to keep a round-the-clock watch on the strip. Crossing the ''Schutzstreifen'', the escapee would next reach the floodlit control strip, often called the "death strip" in the West. Tripwire-activated flare launchers were situated at various points to help the border guards to pinpoint the location of an escape attempt. The last and most formidable obstacle was the outer fencing. In some places there were multiple parallel rows of fences, each up to several metres high, with minefields in between. The fences were not electrified but were booby-trapped with directional anti-personnel mines at intervals of , each one of which was capable of killing at a range of up to . Finally, the escapee had to cross whatever natural obstacles were on the western side of the border fence as well as traversing a strip of cleared ground that was up to 500 meters (1640 ft) wide. While crossing this outer strip, the escapee would appear in clear view and shooting range of the border guards before reaching the safety of West German territory. ==Restricted zone== The ''Sperrzone'', a wide area to which access was heavily restricted, was the rear segment of the border defences. When it was established in May 1952 it included a number of villages and valuable agricultural land. Although the land continued to be farmed where possible, many of the inhabitants were expelled on the grounds of political unreliability or simply because they lived inconveniently close to the border line. In some instances, entire villages were razed and the inhabitants were relocated far to the east.〔Rottman, pp. 20–21〕 Those who remained behind were required to be completely loyal to the regime and support the border guards, helping them by watching for strangers and unfamiliar vehicles. Even so, they had little freedom of movement; special permits were required to enter the zone and farmers worked under close supervision.〔 They could enter and leave the zone an unlimited number of times but could not travel to other villages within the zone.〔Buchholz, p. 57〕 Curfews were imposed to prevent inhabitants from crossing the border under the cover of darkness. The ''Sperrzone'' was not fenced off but was marked with warning signs. The entry roads were controlled by checkpoints (''Kontrollpassierpunkte'') through which only authorised individuals could pass. The first layer of border fences, the signal fence, lay on the far side of the ''Sperrzone'' to control access to the protective strip or ''Schutzstreifen'' adjoining the border itself.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Fortifications of the inner German border」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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