Grenzhus Schlagsdorf tells the story of the inner-German border between the Baltic Sea and the Elbe from 1945 to 1990 from the perspective of the people in the border area. How did people live on both sides, how did they react to the constraints of the GDR border regime and the Cold War? The historical learning site is divided into a museum, an outdoor area with reconstructed barrier installations and a border trail "Grenzwege Schlagsdorf".
A border almost 1,400 km long divided Germany for almost 40 years with painful consequences for the people on both sides. The Grenzhus tells the story of the inner-German border between the Baltic Sea and the Elbe from the perspective of the people in the border area. After the dismantling of the border barriers on the GDR side, a "green belt" of protected landscapes emerged from the death strip. The Grenzhus is one of the four information centers in the Elbe-Schaalsee biosphere band.
Opened in 1999, the Grenzhus forms the core of the place of remembrance, in the middle of the former restricted area. Impressive objects, models and stories tell of forced resettlements, razed villages, escapes, but also of the everyday life of people under dictatorship and democracy as well as of service at the border. Historical film footage and interviews with contemporary witnesses provide vivid insights into past lifeworlds and the transformation of the landscape.
In 2001, elements of the former GDR security installations were reconstructed from original parts in an outdoor area in a disused gravel pit. Here, the border signal fence, observation tower and border fence I from the 1980s can be seen in model form. The outdoor area is about 500 meters away from the Grenzhus and can only be visited during the museum's opening hours.
The border trail "Grenzwege Schlagsdorf", which is about 3.5 kilometers long, was developed in 2012. The paths lead from the Grenzhus in different directions to the former border line and offer insights into the change of the landscape in the border area. 14 stations tell about historical events, the construction of the border barriers as well as the landscape around Mechower Lake. The information boards offer impressive and surprising insights into the history of a landscape that is peaceful today.
The Grenzhus is a place for meeting, information and learning. A professional educational program offers access to history and a framework for exciting political and moral discussions for different target groups and holds a wide range of guided tours, seminars and excursions. Media stations and historical objects provide vivid insights into this recent past.
