Traffic Control Points

Before one would even see the "Hinterland" fence, road control points began to carefully monitor traffic heading into the border region.  Anyone without correct credentials or a pass would be turned away.  Once past this check point,  monitoring continued to insure the stated destination was reached.

The East German civil police, Volkspolizei, had responsibility for control of access leading to the Hinterland fence.  Control points on the civil roads such as this one were located approximately five kilometers from the actual border.  Passage was granted only to people either living in the Hinterland area or having specific business in the area.   Once reaching the gates at Hinterland fence, the East German Border Troops would carefully check all traffic prior to allowing entry.

--Erwin Ritter

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