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The foundation of the two German states in 1949 and the escalation of the Cold War had a grave influence on the safeguarding of a demarcation line between the occupation zones in Berlin.⁶

At first, the borders between the occupation zones and the sectors within Berlin only served as governing borders. However, in the course of the political developments, they became much more influential and eventually were real customs and economical borders.

Initially, it was possible to cross the Inner-German demarcation line without major problems, but aside from the official crossing points it was already illegal. As early as 1946, the German Border Police was founded in the SBZ on the basis of a Control Council directive from the SMAD, which was subordinate to Soviet agencies. At the same time, the border between the Soviet and western Zones was closed for three months to curb the huge numbers of people and goods leaving the East. From 1948, so-called border violators were increasingly searched for by the Soviet side. They were trying to curb smuggling and the black market, but also to chase down saboteurs and spies.