Crossing the inner German border Crossing the inner German border remained possible throughout the Cold War ; it was never entirely sealed in the fashion of the border between the two Koreas , though there were severe restrictions on the movement of East German citizens . The post - war agreements on the governance of Berlin specified that the Western Allies were to have access to the city via defined air , road , rail and river links . This was mostly respected by the Soviets and East Germans , albeit with periodic interruptions and harassment of travellers . Even during the Berlin Blockade of 1948 , supplies could be brought in by air – the famous Berlin Airlift – and Allied military convoys could pass through East Germany " en route " to Berlin . The border could be crossed legally only through a limited number of air , road , rail and river routes . Travellers to and from Denmark , Sweden , Poland and Czechoslovakia could also pass through East Germany . Access rights for non - Germans were otherwise very restricted . Foreigners had to submit an itinerary to the East German state tourist office up to nine weeks in advance , paying booking fees and registering with the local police on arrival , purchasing fuel only from specially approved petrol stations and spending a prescribed minimum of money each day . They were required to stay in state - owned " Interhotels " where rooms cost five to ten times more than in the ( very few ) ordinary East German hotels . Not surprisingly , East Germany did not develop much of a tourist industry ; even as late as May 1990 , there were only 45 , 000 hotel beds in the entire country . Westerners found crossing the inner German border to be a somewhat disturbing experience . Jan Morris wrote : Each of the different means of crossing the border had its own complications . Only aircraft of the three Western Allies were allowed to fly to or from West Berlin ; civilian traffic was principally served by Air France , British European Airways ( later British Airways ) and Pan Am . River traffic was hugely important to the survival of West Berlin , conveying around five million tons of cargo a year to the city , but was subjected to numerous inspections and petty restrictions by the East German authorities . Rail traffic was excruciatingly slow ; locomotives and train crews had to be changed at the border , the East German Transport Police ( " Trapos " ) carried out inspections using sniffer dogs to uncover stowaways , passports and visas had to be processed at border stations and the condition of the track was so poor that trains were limited to a maximum speed of . Road crossings were fairly straightforward but slow because of the extensive border formalities and inspections . Drivers were required to stay on designated transit routes across East Germany . Crossing points . Before 1952 , the inner German border could be crossed at almost any point along its length . The fortification of the border resulted in the severing of 32 railway lines , three autobahns , 31 main roads , eight primary roads , about sixty secondary roads and thousands of lanes and cart tracks . The number of crossing points was reduced to three air corridors , three road corridors , two railway lines and two river connections giving transit access to Berlin , plus a handful of additional crossing points for freight traffic . The situation improved somewhat after the " rapprochement " between the two German states in the 1970s . Additional border crossings for so - called " kleine Grenzverkehr " – " small border traffic " , essentially for West German day trippers – were opened at various locations along the border . The crossings . By 1982 , there were 19 border crossings : six roads , three autobahns , eight railway lines plus the Elbe river and the Mittellandkanal . Road crossing ( East / West checkpoints , from north to south ) Railway crossing Water crossing The largest crossing point or " Grenzübergangsstelle " ( GÜSt ) between East and West Germany was at Marienborn on the Hanover – Berlin autobahn . It was originally a set of simple huts straddling the border , where British and Soviet military police checked travellers between the eastern and western zones . In 1971 – 72 the East German government expanded it into a complex through which 34 . 6 million travellers passed between 1985 – 89 . The British , French and Americans worked alongside the West German " Bundesgrenzschutz " and Customs to maintain a corresponding checkpoint near Helmstedt . Codenamed Checkpoint Alpha , this was the first of three Allied checkpoints on the road to Berlin . The others were Checkpoint Bravo , where the autobahn crossed from East Germany into West Berlin , and most famous of all , Checkpoint Charlie , the only place where non - Germans could cross by road or foot from West to East Berlin . ) On the other side of the border at Marienborn , over 1 , 000 East German officials worked around the clock to process travellers . A large proportion of the staff were officers of the Stasi , the much - feared secret police , although they wore the uniforms of the regular " Grenztruppen " . The real " Grenztruppen " were also present to provide military backup , as were East German customs officers and Soviet military officials who were responsible for inspecting Allied military vehicles entering East Germany . The main functions of the staff at Marienborn and other border crossing points were to combat smuggling , to " defend the state border " – by which was meant preventing escapes from East Germany – and to stop any items deemed politically or socially unacceptable from entering or leaving the country . A wide variety of items were forbidden to be imported or exported . Western magazines and newspapers , recorded materials , films , radios and medicines were among the more predictable prohibited items , though it was unclear why items such as eels and asparagus could not be brought across the border . The prevention of escapes was a key priority at crossing points such as Marienborn . It was not possible to simply drive through the gap in the border fence that existed at crossing points , as the East Germans installed high - impact vehicle barriers mounted at chest height . These could ( and did ) kill drivers who attempted to ram through them . As a last resort , massive rolling barriers ( " Kraftfahrzeugschnellsperre " ) long and weighing six tons apiece could be catapulted across the carriageway using hydraulic rams . They were capable of stopping a 50 - ton truck travelling at . The guards at border crossings were , as elsewhere , authorised to use weapons to stop escape attempts . Vehicles were subjected to rigorous checks to uncover escapees . Inspection pits and mirrors allowed the undersides of vehicles to be scrutinised . Probes were used to investigate the chassis and even the fuel tank , where an escapee might be concealed , and vehicles could be partially dismantled in on - site garages . At Marienborn there was even a mortuary garage where coffins could be checked to confirm that the occupants really were dead . From the late 1970s , the East Germans also installed concealed gamma - ray detectors ( " gamma guns " ) at border crossings which used radioactive Caesium - 137 sources to detect people concealed inside vehicles . The discovery of this practice caused a health scare after reunification . A subsequent investigation by federal authorities found that these involuntary screenings did not result in " a harmful dose " despite violating basic radiation safety protocols . Passengers , too , were checked thoroughly with an inspection of their papers and frequently an interrogation about their travel plans and reasons for travelling . The system was slow and low - technology , relying largely on vast card indexes recording travellers ' details , but it was effective nonetheless ; during the 28 years of operation of the Marienborn complex , no successful escapes were recorded . Border crossing regulations . West and East Germans were treated very differently when entering or leaving East Germany . West Germans were able to cross the border relatively freely to visit relatives . They had to go through numerous bureaucratic formalities imposed by the East German government . These included applying in advance for permission , registering with the local police on arrival , remaining within a specified area for a specified period and obtaining an exit visa from the police on departure . East Germans were subjected to far more stringent restrictions . The East German constitution of 1949 granted citizens a theoretical right to leave the country , though it was hardly respected in practice . Even this limited right was removed in the constitution of 1968 which confined citizens ' freedom of movement to the area within the state borders . It was not until November 1964 that they were allowed to visit the West at all , and even then only pensioners were allowed . This gave rise to a joke that only in East Germany did people look forward to old age . East German pensioners were able to visit the West for up to four weeks in a year , but were not permitted to take more than a token 10 East German marks with them , requiring them to depend on the support of relatives , churches and the West German government . As they were retired , they were seen by the East German government as economically unimportant and no great loss if they defected . The vast majority , though , chose to return home at the end of their stay . Not until 1972 were younger East Germans permitted to travel to the West , though few did so until the mid - 1980s . They were rarely permitted to take their own car but had to go by train or bus instead . A lengthy process had to be endured to register with the police for a passport and exit visa and to undergo close questioning about their reasons for wanting to travel . An application to travel had to be submitted well in advance of the planned departure . They also had to submit an application and undergo a personal evaluation at their workplace . Their employer would then submit a statement and various forms to the police . Applicants were left in the dark about the success of their application until the day before their departure . They were required to go again to the police and present various items of paperwork before obtaining a passport and visa , for which a 60 DM fee was charged – a substantial fraction of an East German ' s monthly salary . The odds were against successful applications , as only around 40 , 000 a year were approved . Refusal was quite often arbitrary , depending on the goodwill of local officials . A few categories of citizens were permitted relatively free travel . Members of the Party elite and cultural ambassadors such as sportspeople , singers , film directors and writers were frequently given permission to travel , as were essential transport workers such as barge crewmen , railway workers and truck drivers . However , they were not permitted to take their families with them . Until the late 1980s , ordinary East Germans were only permitted to travel to the West on " urgent family business " such as the marriage , serious illness or death of a close relative . In February 1986 , the regime relaxed the definition of " urgent family business " , though it still required travellers to leave behind " collateral " ( in effect , a hostage ) such as a spouse , child or other close relative . This massively increased the number of citizens able to travel to the West . The number of legal East German border - crossers rose from 66 , 000 in 1985 to 573 , 000 in 1986 , 1 . 2 million in 1987 and 2 . 2 million in 1988 . The " pensioner traffic " increased greatly as well , from 1 . 6 million a year in 1985 to 3 . 8 million in 1987 . According to East German official figures , more than 99 . 5 % of the border - crossers returned home . The relaxation of the border restrictions was said to have been motivated by a desire on the part of the East German leadership to reduce their citizens ' desire to travel and shrink the number applying to emigrate . In practice , however , it had exactly the opposite effect . A " Washington Post " article of April 1988 wondered prophetically whether the policy would lead to East Germany " fac [ ing ] the prospect that the freer travel policy could be destabilizing by whetting desires for additional liberties . " Even if East Germans got a visa to cross the border , they were still subject to East German government restrictions on the western side . Groups visiting West Germany were required to leave behind all of their identification , without which they could not prove their entitlement to West German citizenship . Individual members were forbidden from walking alone or collecting the 100 DM " welcome money " that the West German government gave to all East German visitors . The group as a whole was responsible for making sure none of its members defected . They could all expect punishment if someone did " take off " . Such rules provided a powerful incentive to keep potential defectors in line . Ordinary East Germans strongly resented the travel restrictions . Most holidays had to be spent at home or in state - run holiday resorts . Husbands and wives often had to take separate holidays because of the difficulty in getting approval for leave from employers . Those who could travel were only free to go to " fraternal Socialist states " – Bulgaria , Czechoslovakia , Hungary , Poland , Romania and the Soviet Union ( though Poland was taken off the list after 1981 to prevent the spread of the Solidarity trade union ism " infection " ) . Even then , they had to pay high prices to stay in second - class accommodation and were often shocked by the poor living conditions , particularly in the Soviet Union , which GDR propaganda had promoted as " the most modern and progressive state in the world . " Emigrating from East Germany . The GDR did not encourage emigration , perhaps not surprisingly considering that the inner German border fortifications and Berlin Wall had been erected specifically to stop emigration . There was no formal legal basis under which a citizen could emigrate from the country . In 1975 , however , East Germany signed up to the Helsinki Accords , a pan - European treaty to improve relations between the countries of Europe . The Accords were regarded by the East German government as being hugely important . GDR leader Erich Honecker commented that the Accords " fixed " the " territorial and political outcomes " of the Second World War , in effect ratifying the division of Germany . However , the Accords also included a provision on freedom of movement that was to lead to the regime ' s authority being increasingly undermined . As East German citizens learned about this provision – which was not publicised by the GDR ' s state - controlled media – an increasing number sought to use it to emigrate . They applied for exit visas , citing Helsinki in their applications . The numbers were relatively small at first , averaging around 7 , 200 first - time applications and the granting of 4 , 600 exit visas annually during the late 1970s . By the late 1980s numbers had snowballed to over 100 , 000 applications with around 15 , 000 – 25 , 000 exit visas being granted annually . Legal emigration posed a dilemma for the regime ; although it provided a safety valve of sorts and allowed East Germany to portray itself as adhering to the Helsinki norms , it ran the risk of the East German population coming to demand a general right to emigrate . A Central Committee report prepared in 1988 warned that even Party members were not sufficiently motivated to oppose emigration : The regime sought to dissuade would - be émigrés through a variety of measures . The process of applying for an exit permit was deliberately intended to be slow , demeaning and frustrating , with a low chance of success . Applicants were pushed to the margins of society . They were demoted or sacked from their jobs , excluded from universities and subjected to ostracism . If the applicants were parents , they could face the threat of having their children taken into state custody on the grounds that they were unfit to bring up children . The heavily politicised East German law code was used to punish those who continued to apply for emigration despite repeated rejections . Those who repeatedly submitted emigration applications faced charges of " impeding . . . the state and social activity " . If they sought assistance from contacts in the West , such as relatives or West German state bodies , they were guilty of " illegal contact " or " traitorous information transfer or activities as an agent . " Criticising the political system was a crime of " public disparagement " . Over 10 , 000 applicants were arrested by the Stasi between the 1970s and 1989 on such charges . Such repressive treatment may well have reduced the number of people who were willing to apply for an exit visa ; however , it also provoked the creation of a small but vocal pro - reform movement willing to directly and publicly challenge the regime . The government found it difficult to deal with such people ; as one historian comments , " the scale and spontaneity of demonstrative actions , and the obstinate commitment of the applicants , repeatedly forced the [ East German ] power apparatus to make concessions on travel and emigration issues in order to prevent . . . massive , uncontrolled eruptions . " This was to have important consequences at the end of the 1980s . A report for the Central Committee ' s security section noted : " The emigration problem is confronting us with a fundamental problem of the GDR ' s development . Experience shows that the current repertoire of solutions ( improved travel possibilities , expatriation of applicants , etc . ) have not brought the desired results , but rather the opposite . " The agitation for emigration , the report concluded presciently , " threatens to undermine beliefs in the correctness of the Party ' s policies . " Ransoms and " humanitarian releases " . In addition to the emigration programme , East German citizens could also emigrate through the semi - secret route of being ransomed by the West German government . Between 1964 and 1989 , 33 , 755 political prisoners were ransomed . A further 2 , 087 prisoners were released to the West under an amnesty in 1972 . Another 215 , 000 people , including 2 , 000 children cut off from their parents , were allowed to leave East Germany to rejoin their families . In exchange , West Germany paid over 3 . 4 billion DM – nearly $ 2 . 3 billion at 1990 prices – in goods and hard currency . The annual ransom fees became such a fixture , and so essential to the running of the East German economy , that the East German government accounted for the ransoms as a fixed item in the GDR ' s state budget . Those who were ransomed would be taken to a detention centre in Karl - Marx - Stadt ( now Chemnitz ) before being driven across the border in coaches and officially expelled by the GDR authorities . As the two governments did not have any formal relations when the ransoms first began , they were arranged between two lawyers , East German Wolfgang Vogel and West German Jürgen Stange . The initially secret arrangement was revealed by Rainer Barzel , the Federal Minister for All - German Affairs at the time , who wrote in his memoirs ( published in 1978 ) : " The price for the prisoners was determined on an individual basis . Disgusting . It was fixed according to the prisoner ' s human and political weight . Those serving life sentences cost more . " The prices ranged from around 1 , 875 DM for a worker to around 11 , 250 DM for a doctor ; the justification , according to East Germany , was that this was compensation for the money invested by the state in the prisoner ' s training . For a while , payments were made in kind using goods that were in short supply in East Germany , such as oranges , bananas , coffee and medical drugs . The average prisoner was worth around 4 , 000 DM worth of goods . Ultimately the ransoms became simple cash payments , funded by a shadowy network of agencies and rich individuals that included the federal government , the Evangelical Lutheran Church and the fervently anti - communist millionaire publisher Axel Springer . The scheme was highly controversial in the West . It was denounced by many as human trafficking but was defended by others as an " act of pure humanitarianism " .