A vasfüggöny kiépítése és felszámolása a déli határszakaszon : 1949-1956

Abstract

The iron curtain is the political metaphor of the division of Europe in the Cold War. This paper presents the establishment and demolition of the first generation technical solutions (anengineering barrier and a mined strip) along the southern border section. Mined strips were also established along the Yugoslavian and Austrian borders in 1949 and 1950, respectively. They were 971.139 km long in total. The system was combined with an external engineering barrier. Ithad the following structure: One or two lines of a 2 m high wire fence comprised the backbone of the engineering mine barrier. On the inside of the fence (facing Hungarian territory), mines in wooden boxes were laid in a total of four rows spaced 1 m apart in a checkerboard pattern. On the side of the row of pressure mines facing Hungarian territory, contact mines were also laid in two or three rows. A narrow empty strip was left next to the contact mines. After that, a barbed wire was mounted on 60 cm high poles. A trace strip and a border patrol path next to it were 5 to 6 metres wide. Mines were laid and the density of mines was increased continuously from 1949 until the end of 1955. About 2 million mines were laid. This mined strip was swept in 1956. This was only carried out completely along the southern border section.