A nerve-racking border crossing

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In the times of the GDR, Sigrid Richter would often spend vacations in Hungary with her family. Richter enjoyed the feeling of freedom, the contact with people from other nations and discovering new and unknown products and goods. For Richter and her husband – just like for many other GDR citizens – the illustrated magazines from the West had a particular appeal. On the return journey from Hungary to the GDR, her husband – who wasn't afraid of taking risks – took a few of these magazines with him, leaving Richter completely in the dark about it. Even though he didn't say a word about it to Richter, she had a gut feeling, suspecting her husband of taking the magazines with him. They were subjected to a thorough border check in Zinnwald and their car and camper were searched by the customs officials. The officials even searched the bed where the son of Richter still slept, looking for prohibited goods. However, they didn't find anything. The search terrified Richter who anticipated the worst. After driving for a few kilometers past the checkpoint, her husband confessed to her that the Magazines had been hidden under the doormat in the camper. This was the first nerve-racking border crossing for Richter.

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Sigrid Richter

Sigrid Richter was born in 1952 in Mecklenburg. She spent a pattern-like childhood and youth in the GDR. Her school years, as well as her studies, were unburdened by problems. Shortly before the completion of her studies for a teacher, she met her future husband. However, his curriculum vitae had a major flaw --he was the son of a West-German father. This fact potently complicated their life and it was only through the relationship with her husband that Richter learned the hard way that life in the GDR could be very problematic indeed. This made her grow critical of the regime. Finally, Richter decided to emigrate with her family. As she had believed that the GDR was a state of law, she applied for a permission to leave the country in 1982. However, by this act she attracted the attention of the Stasi – the East-German secret security police – to the family. A putative messenger contacted the family with the offer to arrange an illegal emigration. Although the Richter family turned his offer down, they were nonetheless incarcerated for not having reported the messenger to the police. Thus they fell into the trap that had been staged by the Stasi. Richter was put into the Hoheneck female prison - separated from her son and husband. After four and a half years, she and her husband were freed in exchange for payment by the Federal Republic of Germany. After a short time, the spouses managed to get their son to the West as well and thus the family was able to reunite.

Zinnwald, Grenzübergang DDR-Tschechien

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Zinnwald ist ein Ortsteil der Stadt Altenberg, direkt an der der deutsch-tschechischen Grenze. Zur Zeit des Eisernen Vorhangs wurden hier strenge Grenzkontrollen durchgeführt. In Zinnwald selbst findet man eher Gedenkstätten zu der nationalsozialistischen Vergangenheit Deutschlands. Beispielsweise gibt es eine Grabstätte auf dem Friedhof, der an zwei serbische beim Todesmarsch getöteten Konzentrationslagerhäftlinge erinnern soll.

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A nerve-racking border crossing

Sigrid Richter