A new Museum building and a new concept to the masses of visitors in the formerly divided village: they have risen to Double. The Federal government and the free state of Bavaria have pledged for the project, each of 5.5 million euros, the opening to take place no later than in 2023. The new building is to be built on the Bavarian side a little above the village centre and the site do not interfere. the By Claudia Henzler, in the other direction
Thirty years after the fall of the Berlin wall to be brought to the German-German Museum in the other direction from the permanent state of Temporary. Currently, the tender for a new Museum building and the redesign of the free area with about a hundred meters long, the Rest of the border wall in the centre running. The Federal government and the free state of Bavaria have pledged for the project, each of 5.5 million euros. The Hofer district administrator Oliver Baer, he is the Chairman of the Museum managers Association, expects total costs in the amount of about 12.8 million euros and hopes to make an opening at the latest in 2023.
The purpose of the Association wants the extension for years, because the Museum is now one of 80 000 visitors a year – twice as many as once at the opening were expected. School classes, go to a Seminar at the former inner-German border, need to be taught due to lack of space in the Container. The toilets in the existing Museum buildings are not designed for the masses of visitors, the break on some summer weekends to Thannbachtal in. And the space for exhibitions in an old barn, forcing the management of the Museum so far, to be limited to the Essentials.
motor Vehicle Lock and a sawed-off observation tower: The hodgepodge on the grounds of the Museum in the other direction is not as it used to be really looked. That should change now. The tower in the back is original.
(photo: Claudia Henzler)
The new building is to be built on the Bavarian side a little above the village centre and the site do not interfere. On the contrary, visitors would have in the future, a particularly good view of the former border installation, promises to be special-purpose Association Chairman Baer. Architects are now called upon in a competition, on 1500 square meters of usable space for permanent and special exhibitions, catering, and event schedule rooms. If the new building to the existing Museum, a former manor in the centre of the village, for the school classes.
just As important are the future plans for the outdoor area, where one sees the enthusiasm of the founding fathers, to save as much as possible of the and the issue, which was mined in the years of change along the border. You have filled several vaults with Material. Just at the entrance to the grounds, a smorgasbord of locking systems, which were not there earlier at all: a dog running, a low observation bunker with camouflage paint, and an original eleven – Meter-high observation tower type BT-6, which stood until 1991 in the case of blankstein, and when you move to the other direction of the half was shortened. Children can climb up.
Here you want to the purpose of the Association in the future, the Authentic more out – actually the remnants of the original route of the wall with the control strip, security fence and lighting is impressive enough. The real observation tower from the other direction gives a very good impression of how the lives of the villagers monitored once was. By the way, on to the visitor through the site are conducted, should be optimized with the new concept. In addition, you want to include a little off-lying Area, the old mill was torn down, because it stood too close to the border. There is also the fence on the border velvet border patrol road, from the Iron curtain in large Parts inventory and a further 1.5 kilometers to get starts.
split location
Administratively, the peasant village, the other direction is not a unit. In the 16th century. Century of narrow Thannbach that runs through the middle of the village areas, to the border between the two Rule. Long as it had for the daily life. Only when the Soviet Union and the United States-oriented in the allocation of zones of occupation at the ancient boundary between Bavaria and the Principality in Thuringia, it was to the barrier, the families separated. A border crossing it was not in the other direction. Only on 7. In December 1989, was defeated in an Opening in the 3,40-meters-high and 700-metre-long concrete wall. Today, the Eastern part belongs to the town of Gefell in Thuringia, counts 34 inhabitants. In the West, which is managed by the municipality of Töpen, life 20 inhabitants. henz
so Far, you can see the Museum, that it was created 30 years ago from a local Initiative. The middle-Münchberg-born documentary filmmaker and photographer Arndt Schaffner had documented the border in the other direction for professional reasons and after 1990 together with the Bavarian side, competent mayor of Töpen the idea for the Museum’s founding driven forward. In 1994 it was opened, a few years later, additional Depots were and film rooms. In spite of public subsidies, including grants from the Federal government, could not lift the club to the Museum permanently. In 2006, it took the Association a cross-country purpose, to prevent the closure. To him, the three districts of Hof (Bavaria), Vogtland (Saxony) and Saale-Orla-Kreis (Thuringia), as well as the municipalities belong to Töpen and Gefell.
Some local politician wanted in the past few decades that the Federal government financially more would participate – after all, it is going to preserve one for the whole country, the relevant place of remembrance. The now deceased conductor, summed up the Problem this way: “We are not a national Museum with a whole-of-government importance.” The now planned and largely from the Federal government and the state of Bavaria financed the extension has a long history. In 2009, the Bavarian Cabinet had given a concept for the further development of the Museum in order. In 2012, it said funding, when the Federal government takes the same share. In 2016, the state and the Association were free confident that it could soon begin. However, because the Federal government did not consider the costs to be realistic, had to be revised in the concept.
