Virtual Tour

Nowadays a district of the nearby town of Bad Sachsa, the village of Tettenborn hosts a small but fine border area museum in the local community centre. It opened its doors on November 12, 1992, exactly three years after the east-west border fence across the B 243 federal road between Nüxei and Mackenrode was opened up.

The museum depicts the evolution of the inter-German border in the southern Harz, from 1945 to the end of the Cold War in 1989, with a vast amount of original exhibits. In addition, the museum houses a near-complete collection of all known medals and decorations from the former GDR, documents of the GDR secret service reporting escape attempts, and the equipment from a leading point tower monitoring the border. Further, the original hot-air balloon used in an escape attempt is on display. Visitors are given an informed guided tour.

Please click on the images below to see larger versions.

	In front of the museum, visitors are greeted by an original post used to indicate the demarcation line.
	Equipment from the border security fence ("Grenzsignalzaun"), including a communications facility and an alarm trigger.
	An original hot-air balloon that was meant to be used for the escape of a married couple as late as August of 1989. Unfortunately, the attempt failed...
	A fully-equipped so-called leading point as it was in use as part of the border security facilities. A sound recording is featured in which a simulated border alarm is re-enacted. It still sends shivers down the spines of visitors when the siren indicates that an alarm was triggered at the border security fence and troops are ordered to the location of the breach...
	Old road signs and border signs.