ABSTRACT
By December 1961, the Gera District SED leadership declared Modlareuth's section of the border to have "manifested as a territorial focus" in the fight against Republikflucht. The first half of the 1960s saw an increase in the defensive measures of the East German border forces along Schleiz County's 12-mile border with the Federal Republic. Across the first half of the decade, Bavarian Border Police reported an increased number of troops across the border and the introduction of guard dogs across the border barriers. In addition to insults hurled from across the border, East German workers faced another unusual problem during the construction of the new concrete and wooden wall. As the 1966 wall was being built, authorities on the western side of the village naturally took great interest in its construction. Concerning the wall's construction, an overwhelming sense of helplessness dominated the views of Modlareuthers.
