Run without borders
Morning run
Kerstin Mueller-Jannusch and Klaus Randel are on their way to the Schifflersgrund Border Musuem in Sickenberg. They are part of a group of Germans completing what they call a "Run Without Borders." The 34 runners, who range in age from 30 to 70, are tracing the path of the former border between West and East Germany for a distance of over 1,100 kilometers (680 miles). They complete the run relay-style in legs of 4-12 kilometers and carry a baton in the black, red, and gold colors of the German flag the entire way.
A slight detour
Even with the help of a wristwatch GPS, losing the path is always possible. Here, Kerstin and Bernd Klose examine the map, while Simon Cole consults his GPS. Bernd is the designated cyclist for this leg of the relay. He accompanies the runners on a bike which is equipped with a first aid kit, a mobile phone, and another GPS system loaded with maps.
Shocking
Rather than backtracking to the road, the group decides to go cross-country and pick up the path further on. They cut through fields of deep grass, where stinging nettles burn their legs. Simon and Klaus have no trouble getting past this loose wire fence, but not before realizing it's electrified - to keep cows from wandering off.
No bike path
Leaving electric fences and stinging nettles behind, the group presses on through a field. Bernd has to hoist his bike and carry it uphill until they find the road again. The rest of the "Runners Without Borders" have already made it to the Schifflersgrund Border Museum, where they wait for the four lost runners. A minimum of two runners and one cyclist are on the path the entire time, while the rest of the group drives ahead in vans to the next exchange point.
The former border
Twenty years ago, it wouldn’t have been possible to go for a run anywhere near the former border that divided Germany. This picture from the mid-eighties shows what the site of the Schifflersgrund Border Museum looked like when it was still in East German territory. The edge of the road marks the actual border between East and West Germany, and the colored pole on the right half of the picture is the first marker of East German territory.
Keeping an eye things
The guard tower is one of the few original structures from the era before the Schifflersgrund Border Museum opened in 1991. The tower was built in 1982 and overlooked the border fence separating East and West Germany.
An attempt at freedom
This fence marked the final physical barrier between East and West Germany. One man attempted to climb the fence and escape to the West at this spot. On May 29, 1982, Heinz-Josef Grosse was employed by the border patrol to do work near the fence. When his troop escort temporarily left him alone, Grosse drove his tractor up to the fence and raised the bucket over the top. He climbed up the bucket and jumped over, avoiding the trip wires connected to the fence that triggered automatic mines. The border troops saw what Grosse was doing and fired warning shots as they ran toward him. Grosse scrambled up the hill, nearing the actual border, as the troops opened fire and killed him.
Marking the border
The Schifflersgrund Border Museum has many relics from the time when Germany was divided, including these two columns. They were the first physical representations of the East and West German borders. In the background, the white column marked the end of West German territory, and the red, black, and gold column in the foreground marked the beginning of East Germany. But it was rare that anyone other than border troops got very close to these columns. People living in East Germany were kept kilometers away from the border, and the column was on the other side of the fence that was designed to keep them in.
East German keepsake
Plaques on the columns stamped with "Deutsche Demokratische Republik" (German Democratic Republic) were popular 'souvenirs' after German reunification. Many columns were lifted of their official symbols after the fall of the Iron Curtain in 1989.
Germany united
A memorial at the museum's entrance symbolizes Germany overcoming its divided past, enabling groups like the "Runners Without Borders" to celebrate the freedom a united Germany allows.
Running free
Simon, Kerstin and Klaus have found the trail again and continue on along the former border fence. The run will take two weeks to complete, and the combined group covers over 100 kilometers (62 miles) per day, They stop to visit border sites and museums along the way, or to spend the night in sports halls or camping parks. The "Runners Without Borders" will finish their run in the northern town of Luebeck, completing a run that wouldn't have been possible just 20 years ago.