“Saxony-Anhalt Memorial Foundation / Marienborn German Division Memorial”

Marienborn Memorial (Manuela Fischer)

The Marienborn German Division Memorial (under the umbrella of the Saxony-Anhalt Memorial Foundation based in Magdeburg) is a place of remembrance of contemporary German and European history. It is located on the site of the former GDR border crossing point in Marienborn, directly on the A2 motorway. This is where the communist regime and the democratic states of the West met. The Marienborn border crossing point was an integral part of the GDR's almost completely monitored border security system. As a dividing wall and bottleneck between East and West, it marked a seam in the “Iron Curtain”. In the mid-1980s, almost 12 million travelers passed through the GÜSt Marienborn every year. These were mainly German citizens and travelers from Western Europe.

Of the original 34 hectare site, around 7.5 hectares are still preserved. The historic check-in areas are now under monument protection, which restricts structural measures. Information boards on the site provide information and orientation. In the visitor center, the multi-media permanent exhibition “The GDR border crossing point in Marienborn. Scene of the East-West Conflict in Divided Germany” places the history of the historical place in the context of the Cold War. Changing exhibitions illuminate the history of the GDR from different perspectives. The memorial can be visited free of charge every day between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Groups can book tours and project days. The memorial remains closed on Good Friday, December 24th and December 25th. Public events are offered every month. This includes lectures, musical readings, plays and much more.

The Hötensleben border monument has been part of the memorial since 2004. It documents the GDR border barriers as they were in 1989. The “protective strip” of walls, metal mesh fences, signal wires, minefields and watchtowers is still preserved over a length of 350 meters. The border monument is freely accessible all year round and is located about 17 kilometers south of Marienborn.