Extraordinary events in the mine fields supervised by the Border Guard at the Austrian–Hungarian state border (1949–51)

Abstract

A technical barrier (an electric fence with barbed wire) and mine fields were employed along the Austrian border in Hungary from 1949 until 1970, except for a short period of time. Based on the material related to the Border Guard and accessible in the National Archives of Hungary, the paper presents typical events from the early period of its existence. The author describes the structure of the technical barrier, the contemporary methods of border surveillance and the ways the extraordinary events were managed. The impact that this extremely drastic instrument had on the lives of the local residents, the border guard soldiers and on the relationship of the two neighbouring countries is also shown. In some of the reports we can follow tragic stories as they unfolded from the mine field to hospital.