Two former border guards (East and West) accompany the group along the former inner-German border.
On an approx. 9 km long circular route around Lake Mechow, contemporary witnesses provide insights into the transformation of the inner-German border in this section. Wolfgang May (Federal Border Guard - West) and Jens Strohschein (GDR Border Troops - East) faced each other here in hostile systems until 1989. Today they talk about their memories together and want to help overcome divisions.
Lake Mechow was a border lake. It belonged to the GDR and its western shore formed the borderline. However, the inhabitants of Schlagsdorf had not been able to access the lake since 1961. In the following years, the GDR continued to extend the fortifications between the village and the lake. What was service at the border like? What happened when people escaped? How were border disputes resolved? On New Year's Eve 1989, the border on the southern shore of the lake between Schlagbrügge and Wietingsbek was opened.
