Memories of the Iron Curtain: Border Stories of Hope

Memories of the Iron Curtain: Border Stories of Hope

Mühlviertel, Österreich - The iron curtain, the symbol for the division of Europe during the Cold War, was a geopolitical border that influenced not only states but also human life. At the attempt to cross this line from the GDR to the FRG, at least 400 people found death. Many searched for the risky path via Czechoslovakia to Austria, as the refugee Guido Heske from Wunstorf testified, who swam over the Moldau reservoir in 1987. "When I tried, I simply hid that I could die," he describes his recent recess at that time. The dangerous attempts to escape are a shocking chapter in the history of the Iron Curtain, which at the time was a massively guarded border.

background and meaning of the iron curtain

The term "iron curtain" was made popular by Winston Churchill and refers to the ideological and physical separation between the capitalist-democratic west and the communist east. This border shared Europe after the Second World War until the 1989 revolution. It had both a militarily secured dimension and a symbolic that embodied hope for freedom and cohesion. Historians emphasize that the curtain significantly influenced the living conditions in the affected states and produced a difference in wealth between east and west. The lack of freedom of travel and the strict border controls ensured that many people left their homes in the hope of a better life.

The border between Czechoslovakia and Austria became a sad place where around 800 people died up to the turn, including 129 when trying to escape. This dramatic situation is also discussed today in the reports and memories of contemporary witnesses. The new book "From the Iron Curtain to the European Unity" by Albert Ettmayer treats the memories from this eventful time and underlines how important it is to preserve these stories. Bernhard Winkler, chairman of the "Denkstein Eiserner Curtain" association, emphasizes that the opening of the Iron Curtain paved the way to a freer Europe. This success story, which has shaped many human life, deserves to be remembered, as well as wikipedia determined.