History You Can Walk – From Three Perspectives
For over four decades, the Iron Curtain divided Europe. The DenkWeg (Trail of Remembrance) makes that era tangible again: at every station, panels in German, Czech and English illuminate one chapter – from centuries of neighbourly ties through division and oppression to the reunification of a continent.
Station 1 is the DenkStätte (Place of Remembrance) and also the starting point. From there the trail leads on to Stations 2 to 10.
The Companion App
- Download the app – Scan the QR code (on the panel) and install the free app.
- Scan a station – Scan the code on the station panel or select the station from the list.
- Discover more – Explore additional texts, photos and interactive content for every station.
The Stations
Station 1 · A Walk Through Contemporary History
Station 1 is the DenkStätte and also the starting point of the trail. From here the route leads to Stations 2 to 10 – through an era in which Europe was divided.
Station 2 · Centuries of Neighbourliness
Until 1945. Despite political borders, South Bohemia and the Mühlviertel remained closely connected: shared ruling houses, the salt trade, the Schwarzenberg Floating Canal and the horse-drawn railway. Only the Second World War and later the Iron Curtain tore the region apart.
Station 3 · Sham Democracy and Oppression
From 1948. In Czechoslovakia the Communist Party forced through one-party rule and established a regime modelled on the Soviet Union. Violations or a lack of loyalty could destroy the education and careers of an entire family.
~18,000
employees of the State Security (StB)
up to 160,000
unofficial collaborators
Station 4 · Life at the End of the World
The restricted zone. Behind the Iron Curtain, the world came to an end – it was a dead border. What had been natural for centuries – going „across“ to school, to shop, to the inn – suddenly became impossible.
Station 5 · Strict Controls and Moral Dilemmas
From 1951. The Border Guard (Pohraniční stráž), equipped with weapons and dogs, was meant to stop „border violators“. The young soldiers were under enormous pressure: those who prevented an escape were rewarded – those who failed risked punishment and social sanctions.
584
members of the Border Guard died, many in accidents
11
of them killed by people fleeing
185
took their own lives
Station 6 · Risking One’s Life Out of Desperation
Escape. Despite the strictest surveillance and life-threatening high-voltage fences (until 1965), countless people dared to flee. They left family behind and risked their lives – driven by hopelessness or the longing for freedom.
48,925
arrests at the border, 1950–1989
281
lost their lives while fleeing
145
of them shot dead
96
died by electrocution
Station 7 · The Unbelievable Comes True
1989. Under Mikhail Gorbachev, Moscow signalled that it would no longer intervene militarily. What began as a tear in the fence widened into political upheaval – and ended the division of Europe.
- 27 June 1989 – Symbolic cutting of the border fence near Sopron
- 19 Aug 1989 – Pan-European Picnic near Sopron: over 600 GDR citizens flee to Austria
- 19 Aug 1989 – Cutting of the border fence near Guglwald / Přední Výtoň
- 9 Nov 1989 – Fall of the Berlin Wall
- 17 Nov 1989 – Start of the Velvet Revolution in Prague
Station 8 · Building Contact and Community
From 1990. Rebuilding was difficult – many villages north of the border no longer existed. Even so, exchange grew quickly: associations such as the fire brigades of Schönegg, Piberschlag and Přední Výtoň forged friendships. With the Czech Republic’s EU accession in 2004, the border checks finally disappeared.
Station 9 · The Generation After
Today. For the younger generation, who grew up with open borders, the significance of the Iron Curtain often depends on their own family history. Shared beach festivals in Přední Výtoň and Vorderweißenbach show what has taken its place: neighbourliness lived out in practice.
Station 10 · Contemporary History That Gives Hope
A mission. History is not only the past, but a mission. Only constant commitment to the rule of law and democracy safeguards people’s freedom – impulses for a Europe of the future, without borders, in freedom and peace.
Support the DenkWeg
The trail and the companion app are created through the dedication of the DenkStein association. With your donation you help preserve this place of remembrance.
