A
Cold War Memory from the Other Side of the Iron Curtain
A
preserved part of the Iron Curtain, known to the Czechoslovak Border
Guards as a Signal Wall
Source:
Wikipedia,
Marcin
Szala
In
1945, the war between Nazi
Germany and the Allies
still raged in Europe. The major leaders of the Allies,
the Soviet
Union,
the United States, and Great Britain met in Soviet Yalta
in February the same year. They talked about the postwar arrangement
of Europe.
Joseph
Goebbels, Nazi Germany minister of propaganda, declared that
should Germany lose the war, Europe would be divided by an Iron
Curtain
for the rest of the 20th century. He, of course, quickly added that
Germany would not lose the war. However, Germany lost the war a few
months later.
Soon
after the end of World
War II, the former war Allies became enemies. Europe was divided
into two blocks, East and West. The
Soviet Union controlled Eastern Europe while the United States
exercised its influence in Western Europe. Czechoslovakia
found itself in Eastern Europe. The
Cold War began.
Since
1951, the
Czechoslovak Border Guard secured the borders with West Germany
and Austria. The borders were closed by a system of signal walls
known also as the Iron
Curtain.
No one was to be let through.
Much
has been said and written obout the Iron Curtain and the Czechoslovak
Border Guard. What was it really
like
on the sharply watched Western borders of the Eastern Block though?
I
had the opportunity to ask a man who served there as an officer of
the Czechoslovak Border Guard in 1980s. Here is my interview with
Zdenek:
Zdenek,
where and when did you serve?
In
September 1981, I began my studies at the Specialized Border Guard
and Interior Ministry Academy in the town of Holesov.
My studies and military training lasted four years.
Zdenek
as a young cadet in class (circled in green)
Source:
http://pohranicnik.blogspot.com/
SNB
Military Academy in Holesov, contemporary photograph
Source:
http://pohranicnik.blogspot.com/
After
graduating from the Academy, I received the rank of a Staff Sergeant
(two small silver stars on green shoulder boards). I reported for
duty as a squad leader at the 1st Border Guard Company at the
Tri-border where the borders of Czechoslovakia, the Federal
Republic of Germany (West Germany) and the German
Democratic Republic (East Germany) met. Our company belonged to
the 5th Border Guard Brigade in Cheb
and was also identified as Border Guard unit 8842. This was a
specific military identification that copied the system of the
Czechoslovak People’s Army.
Source:
http://pohranicnik.blogspot.com/
In
the years of 1985-1991, I served on the Czechoslovak-West German
border. In 1991, the Border Guard was transformed into a professional
Federal Border Police. That gave me a chance to serve closer to my
home at the Czechoslovak-Polish border in the area of Vávrovice
in the region of Opava.
I left the service in 1993 when Czechoslovakia was divided into two
new countries, the Czech
Republic and the Slovak
Republic.
The
area of my service between 1981-1991
Source:
http://pohranicnik.blogspot.com/
Our
daily duties at the 1st Border Guard Company, Zdenek as a young
officer (top left photograph, circled in green)
Source:
http://pohranicnik.blogspot.com/
Why
did you decide to join the Border Guard?
That
is a good question. :-)
As
a young man I wanted adventure.
In
then-socialist Czechoslovakia, adventure films about the Border Guard
on our Western borders were very popular. Such as The
King of Sumava and The
Black Wolf.
Much
more of such shows were then made and I loved them all. That played a
great role in my decision to join.
How
did you get accepted into the Border Guard?
There
were several factors that decided if I would be accepted.
I
had to have a security clearance, which in the CSSR
meant that none of my family members lived in the West, or God forbid
in the Evil Empire, the USA :-)
Also,
all of my closest relatives had to have a clean criminal record,
clean of convictions for both political and criminal offences. Had I
not met these basic conditions, there would have been no point in
even trying to join the Border Guard.
Then,
I had to undergo really thorough medical examinations. Because I am
from the city of Ostrava,
I traveled to The Military Hospital in Olomouc.
There, my physical and psychological tests took all day. That was a
tiresome and very unpleasant day.
Finally,
I had to go through admission procedures that took place in the
facilities of the SNB Academy in Holesov. SNB,
the National Security Corps of Czechoslovakia, was how we called
the Police then. The admission tests were tough—the physical part
included climbing a rope, push-ups, running, etc. The other tests
consisted of general knowledge exams, such as math and the Russian
Language, which were mandatory subjects at all schools back then.
I
passed all the tests and exams, and one day I received a letter from
the Federal
Ministry of Interior in Prague.
The letter informed me that I was accepted and gave me instructions
where and when I was to report to a military school.
What
kind of military training did you undergo? Was it difficult?
I
must admit that even though I was a young, slim, and a fit man in
1981, I thought of the entire four years in the Military Academy as
very demanding.
First,
the stress was on physical training. Never before or after, had I run
so many kilometers as in the Military Academy. They used to say, “A
Border Guard either runs or digs trenches and foxholes.“ That was
true, I had my fair share of the field shovel as well.
Stress
was also put on military-technical border training. We learned to
track traces in the terrain, move in the border area, and also
studied military theories and regulations.
Very
often, we went to the firing ranges, especially practising to fire Sa
Vz. 58 assault rifle,
UK
Vz. 59 machine gun,
smaller caliber weapons, and later Vz.
61 Skorpion machine pistol.
This pistol was designed as a personal weapon for Border Guard
officers.
Zdenek
(left) as a young cadet in 1984 with an Sa vz. 58 assault rifle
Source:
http://pohranicnik.blogspot.com/
We
also learned to use RPG-7
a RPG-75 anti-tank grenade launchers and hand grenades.
Was
the academic part of the training also demanding?
Certainly,
our military training also consisted of academic subjects. Simililar
to civilian schools, we studied Math, Physics, Chemistry, Literature,
Czechoslovak Law, and Russian. In addition, we had a choice between
German or English. I chose German.
There
were also specialized subjects, such as Intelligence Training. I
loved this subject the most. Our instructor was one Colonel Klika. He
was an officer of the Czechoslovak Military Intelligence, and an old
and very experienced professional. Among his posts of duty was
Lebanon. The colonel told us fantastic stories. He also taught us
about the police and customs units on the other side of the Western
border, as well as about U.S. Army units serving in the Federal
Republic of Germany (West Germany).
After
that, while I was already serving in my Border Guard unit at the
Czechoslovak border with West Germany, I attended a two-year Officer
Training School in a distant study program. Upon graduation, I became
a commissioned officer in the rank of a Liuetenant.
Did
you have a chance to chose the place of your assignment?
Yes,
in theory. Just in theory :-)
At
the end of my training at the Military Academy, I could choose
between two or perhaps three military units. I requested the Znojmo
Border Guard Brigade or the Cheb
Border
Brigade. I was posted at the Cheb
Brigade.
What
was your first assignment like?
I
remember that even before I was allowed to go into the border area
terrain on my own, our company commander had to show new soldiers
most of the area that was under our watch. Several days later, a
political officer, the Deputy Commander for Political Affairs, walked
me along our border with West Germany.
Our
unit, the 1st Border Guard Company, also guarded a part of our border
with East Germany (DDR) in the area of the towns of Pabstleithen
and Posseck.
The
first month on patrols, I was always accompanied by an experienced
soldier. This was usually a man who was serving his mandatory
military service. In Czechoslovakia, every healthy male who reached
18 years of age had to serve in the military for two years.
There
was no chance of getting lost to the West while on a patrol. One
could not overlook the Signal Wall (the physical Iron Curtain) that
stood in front of our border.
Signal
Wall on Czechoslovak Western border, contemporary photograph
Source:
http://pohranicnik.blogspot.com/
The
Czechoslovak Western border area we guarded
Source:
http://pohranicnik.blogspot.com/
What
equipment did you use on duty?
As
an officer, I carried
a
Vz.
61 Skorpion machine pistol, 7.65 mm caliber, loaded with a small
magazine containing 10 pistol cartriges. I also carried two larger
magazines, each held 20 cartriges.
In
the beginning, I had a PR-21Tesla radio station, but later I was
issued a very good 1
Watt RF-10 military radio station
that worked on a 40 MHz shortwave band.
I
also carried RALK-69 police handcuffs, a pack of bandages, and a
flash light at night. To connect to the field telephone system, I had
a field phone. This was not a classic field phone, there was no need
to dial it, but rather to plug it into a connector. Everywhere in the
Border Zone terraine and especially near the Signal Wall there were
hidden phone connectors. That way I could connect my field phone to
any of them and call a station supervising officer on duty.
A
Czechoslovak Border Guard using his field phone and connector in the
terrain
Source:
http://pohranicnik.blogspot.com/
The
men who were serving their two-year mandatory military service
carried Sa
Vz. 58 assault rifles,
caliber 7.62, with folding riffle-butts. I must say that this
Czechoslovak version of the Soviet AK-47
was an excellent and extremely reliable weapon. Never do I recall
that this weapon failed. The weapon’s maintenance was simple. A
truly perfect product. Especially, since, later, I heard complaints
from U.S. Army soldiers about their M16
assault rifles jamming.
What
were your accommodations like?
That
varied greatly, depending on whether our barracks were old buildings
or one of the new facilities that were being built in the 1980s. We,
soldiers as well as civilians, called the new barracks “Mountain
Resorts.“
The
new barracks offered comfortable rooms, sleeping approximately eight
soldiers, central heating, fitness rooms, billiard salons, libraries,
modern kitchens, and spacious mess halls. That was my accommodation
at the 1st Border Guard Company in 1985.
I
was lucky—had I lived in one of those old barracks that would have
been really slumming it.
Our
new barracks, known as „A Mountain Resort“
Source:
http://pohranicnik.blogspot.com/
One
of the old Border Guard barracks
Source:
http://www.vojensko.cz/
What
was the food like?
In
the training facilities or the Border Guard Brigade barracks the food
was—let’s say—somewhat of under-average quality. Especially in
old facilities that lacked in kitchen equipment.
This
was similar in the Holesov Military Academy. Even though the
Academy’s kitchen and mess hall were built in 1982, it was not an
easy task to prepare three hot meals a day for hundreds of soldiers.
On the other hand, I still remember very tasty meals that were very
popular
amongst soldiers and cadets. For example, Wiener
Schnitzel,
Hungarian Goulash,
Roast
Chicken,
Fried
Cheese
(a Czech specialty),
or various Czech
and Slovak
traditional dishes.
Sometimes
it happened that the meal was not a success, so we would have some
soup, grab some bread, and went to buy food at an ARMA, a small
convenience store on the base. Fortunately, this did not happen too
often.
When
I finally got my first permanent post, the food greatly improved. Our
company consisted of approximately 50 soldiers, so the cooks were
able to focus more on the preparation of really good meals. The food
there tasted just like from my mom. Many soldiers left the service a
bit heavier. I myself gained quite a few pounds. Well, who can resist
good food?
A
Border Guard Company mess hall (left) and Border Guard cooks on duty
(right)
Source:
http://pohranicnik.blogspot.com/
What
was your duty like, day or night?
I
trained new Border Guard soldiers three times a week, Tuesday,
Wednesday, and Thursday. Our company consisted of three platoons.
Often,
I pulled a duty as a station supervising officer. This was a 24-hour
duty that began at 07:00 in the morning. A station supervising
officer oversaw the protection of the border, sent patrols into the
terrain, took reports from the soldiers who returned from their duty,
and maintained radio and phone connection with the patrols and
superior officers. Also, he organized a response action in the case
of a Border Alarm, when either someone tried to violate the border
zone, or another incident happened. Sometimes this duty was nothing
but adrenalin, other times it was very peaceful, if not boring.
As
an officer I inspected the patrols in the terrain and at their posts.
As a platoon leader, I also oversaw a canine expert activate new
service dogs.
My
favorite activity was “Demarcation Duty.“ Another soldier and I
patroled our border outside the Signal Wall, and watched the
territory of the opposing forces. This gave me a chance to meet West
German police officers,
such as members of Bundesgrenzschutz
or
Customs officers. I often saw U.S. Army soldiers, especially at the
HM 1/1 boundary stone marker, where the borders of Czechoslovakia,
East Germany, and West Germany met.
I
experienced hundreds of such meetings. Sometimes, I talked to West
German police officers. Never about our duties, but mostly about
life, the quality of beers, weather, or German TV shows (I often
watched West German shows on ARD, ZDF and BR TV stations). My
knowledge of German came in very handy.
When
we saw U.S. Army soldiers, we mostly smiled at each other or saluted
each other. We never talked, because that was stricktly forbidden and
also because of a language barrier. Back then, an English speaking
Czech was a great rarity.
Tri-border
area, soldiers of the 2nd Armored Cavalry, U.S. Army.
SourcePhoto:
http://pohranicnik.blogspot.com
I
never considered the U.S. soldiers on the other side of the border my
enemies. Perhaps opponents, but I never felt any hatred toward them.
Just like me, most of them were young guys. Fate took them to the
West German border, and they were just doing their duty because in
the 1980s the world was still divided by the Cold War. I wished I
could buy them a beer in a pub. Perhaps, many U.S. soldiers felt the
same.
What
kind of pay did you get? Did you receive any special benefits, such
as more vacation time?
Back
then, many Czech civilians thought that military officers were highly
paid. Unfortunately, that was a myth.
As
a platoon leader my first pay was 2,650 Czechoslovak Crowns (less
than $100) a month, and that included extra pay for serving on the
border.
To
give the reader a better idea—in 1985, a Czechoslovak
Skoda
car cost about 40,000 Kcs ($2,000), an average beer cost 2 Kcs (10
cents), a can of beans and hot dogs cost 4.70 Kc (20 cents), a black
and white portable Tesla Merkur TV cost 3,700 Kcs ($200),and a bottle
of Russian Stolichnaya vodka cost 85 Kcs ($4.00) The irony was that
some things were very cheap, while others (such as electronics and
clothing) were extremely expensive.
True,
back then, the living costs, such as rents, energy and water were
low. They were minor items in our budgets. This was because the
Czechoslovak state subsidized things, such as rents, energy, or
staple foods.
We
did not get any more paid vacation than the civilians. Soldiers who
served their mandatory two-year military service got only 10 days of
vacation a year.
Could
women serve in the Border Guard?
Yes,
they could, but they could not serve in the border terrain. Women in
Border Guard uniforms served at Border Guard Brigade Head Quarters,
SNB Military Academy, border check points, or at airport passport
controls.
What
was the commanding structure of the Border Guard?
From
the lowest to the highest:
They
all reported to the Federal Ministry of Interior in Prague.
What
type of service dogs did you use? Where did you get them from? How
did you train a new dog? How did a dog get used to a new dog handler?
How did a new soldier become a dog handler?
We
used German Shepherds. Our company used German Shepherd females,
while another company next to us used males.
The
dog training took place in a specialized Border Guard unit in the
town of Libějovice.
Unfortunately, I am not familiar with the training details.
In
our company, a dog handler, usually a man who served his mandatory
military service, would gradually hand his dog over to a new dog
handler. This took about six months, because the new dog handler and
the dog had to get used to each other. This was done by training the
dog, feeding the dog by the new handler, etc.
A
new soldier become a dog handler very simply, by an order.
Border
Guard dog training, certainly not a pleasant duty
Source:
http://pohranicnik.blogspot.com/
How
was the border technically secured?
If
someone was approaching the border from the Czechoslovak inland, such
person would first see warning signs, BEWARE! BORDER ZONE. ENTRY BY
PERMIT ONLY.
Various
technical devices were installed within the border zone, such as a
wire on the ground. If someone tripped over the wire, the device
would shoot a flare into the air. The flares had different colors to
mark the location. This would start an alarm. An alarm patrol in
a UAZ
469
vehicle and a service dog were sent to the location.
Then,
there was the “ZTZ Line.“ This zone consisted of plowed ground
that would show any footsteps in front of the Signal Wall. The Signal
Wall was made of T-shaped wooden stilts and barbed wire. The wire was
charged by 12 V or 24 V electricity. Cutting the wire caused a
short-circuit, which triggered an alarm on the Station Signal
Device—red diodes flashed; a signal sounded, and the device also
showed the exact location of the violated wire.
A
border alarm was immediately declared and an alarm patrol with a
service dog was sent to the location. The alarm patrol was followed
by a “Cover Squad.“ This squad consisted of 10 or 12 Border Guard
soldiers. They drove to the location in a Praga
V3S
truck and formed a type of phalanx outside of the Signal Wall to
prevent anyone from penetrating the border.
Then,
a search party with a service dog searched the inside border zone.
This was just in case the border violators changed their minds and
tried to return to inland.
In
most cases, the violators were apprehended. In some cases with a bit
of luck, a few were able to overcome the border and make it to West
Germany or Austria.
Czechoslovak
border barrier system
Source:
https://www.militaryhistories.co.uk/berlin/igb
How
did you get along with the local civilians?
Now,
that really varied. Depending on where and when.
In
the harsh climate of Sumava,
the Border Guards and the locals had a very close relationship. The
people helped each other. For example, during snow calamities, the
Border Guard often functioned as the first aid to the locals, whether
it concerned bringing food supplies or dealing with medical
emergencies.
This
was different and much worse elsewhere. Much depended on the Border
Guard unit commander. If the commander was a reasonable guy, he would
tolerate the mushroom-picking locals who sometimes wandered into the
Border Zone, or he would buy the locals a beer in a local pub. Then,
it was all good. However, if the commander was an idiot who treated
the locals poorly, then it was all bad.
I
met both good and bad commanders.
Zdenek,
did you ever have problems with your your superior officers? Or
perhaps with the Czechoslovak Military Counter-Intelligence?
I
was afraid you would ask that :-)
But
here it comes. As a young officer and full of myself, I had little
respect for military discipline and regulations. I gave one too many
of my commanders gray hair.
And
yes, I experienced a few interrogations by the Czechoslovak Military
Counter-Intelligence. Not because of any politics, but because of my
disciplinary sins and not respecting military authorities enough.
To
this very day, I still wonder why they did not kick me out of the
Border Guard. Perhaps, because the time was the late 1980s, the era
of Mikhail
Gorbachev.
Big changes were coming straight from the Soviet Union, and perhaps
that was why my commanders and the Czechoslovak Military
Counter-Intelligence gave me a break.
Is
it true that all Border Guard officers had to be members of the
then-ruling Communist Party?
That
is another myth. Back then, many people in Czechoslovakia thought
that every Czechoslovak Border Guard officer was a Communist. That
was just not true. I, for one, was never a member of that party. Only
the Company Commander and the Deputy Commander for Political Affairs
had to be members of the Czechoslovak
Communist Party.
In
the 1980s, the only Border Guard soldiers who joined the Communist
Party were those who hoped to make a big career. I think that there
were not too many of those who really believed this ideology. Though,
I am not saying there were not any. There were even some idiots who
joined that party in November 1989 when the Communist Party lost all
its power in Czechoslovakia.
Is
it true that you had orders to fire at anyone who tried to penetrate
the border?
Yes,
that is true.
If
anyone attempted to penetrate our Western border, we had orders to
use a weapon. However, the Standard Operating Procedure was that
first we had to give such person a verbal warning. Then, we would
shoot in the air as another warning. If both warnings failed, we had
orders to fire at the border violators to stop them.
I
know this is a very controversial issue, and I thank to God that I
never had to use my weapon against anyone.
Of
course, there were a few cases when Border Guard patrol was attacked
by an armed border violator. Then we could use our weapons without
any warning—shoot or be shot. It was that simple.
So,
Zdenek you served at the Tri-Border where the borders of
Czechoslovakia, East Germany and West Germany met. Were there any
differences between the Czechoslovak and East German border guards?
Such as the way each of them secured the borders? What was your
relationship with your East German colleagues?
What
you say, it’s true. We also guarded our border with East Germany.
That went as far as the 13/9 po HM 1/1 border landmark, where the
borders of Czechoslovakia, East Germany, and West Germany met.
On
the the Czechoslovak-East German border, there was only an unsecured
simple metal fence. It went from the HM 13/9 border landmark from the
town of Hranice to the HM12 border landmark. It ended after about 100
meters. To get a better idea, this was where the East German town of
Pabstleithen
(Vogtland)
was.
The
East German / West German border was very strictly watched. To
overcome that border was practically impossible. Technically and
logistically the East German border security was perfect. Whether it
was between East and West Berlin or between East and West Germany.
That was why many East Germans tried to flee to the West via
Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria, or through other countries. With a
bit of courage and luck they sometimes managed to do just that.
East
German / West German border in the 1980s
Source:
https://www.siue.edu/GEOGRAPHY/ONLINE/Vogeler/FortifiedFenced&WalledBorders.htm
Our
relationship with the East
German Border Guards
was always excellent, we were buddies.
A
Czechoslovak Border Guard officer (left) consulting his East German
colleague
Source:
http://pohranicnik.blogspot.com/
Several
times, we got drunk together at either their Gasthaus or at our Cink
pub, which was the most western located bar in Czechoslovakia.
Of
course, we always drank and talked. I was one of the few Border
Guards who spoke German, so often I had to act as an interpreter.
One time, I said to the East German Border Guards something about
“Your West German colleagues.“ The East German commander
protested, “Those are not our colleagues. Those are our enemies,
damn it!“
Well,
after a few more beers and bottles of Vodka, the same East German
Border Guard commander started to yell,“Die Mauer muss weg!“ The
(Berlin) Wall must go! We only want one Germany.
Those
were strange times.
The
commanding officers of the 1st Border Guard Company, 1980s, Zdenek is
circled in green
Zdenek,
in 1984, I myself emmigrated out of Czechoslovakia illegally via
Yugoslavia. What if I had decided to go through your Czechoslovak
border zone and got caught? How would you deal with me?
Ok,
if you did not offer any armed resistence and surrenderred to our
Border Guard patrol, not much would really have happened to you. You
would have been arrested and handcuffed. Then, our commander would
question you briefly. After that, you would be handed over to the
Czechoslovak Military Counter-Intelligence. After an interrogation,
those guys woud probably hand you over to a regular prosecutor. You
would have been most likely held in a jail custody. In some cases,
you might have beeen waiting in jail, in some others you would have
been released. In 1984, it all really depended on the mood of the
judge and on the performance of your lawyer.
If
the prosecutor decided to hold you in a prison custody, you would
stay there until your trial. If not, they would let you go home until
the trial.
In
1984, things were better. Unless you had a criminal record, you would
have probably only received a suspended sentence.
When
I lived in Austria, I met two Czechoslovak Border Guards who had
deserted and ran to the West. How difficult was that? Did your
company have any such cases?
It
was a very easy thing for a Czechoslovak Border Guard to flee to the
West.
One
such case even happened in our Border Guard company at the
Tri-Border. Two soldiers served at the Bunker 2 station, at the HM4
Border Landmark, near the German town of Fassmansreuth.
One of the two soldiers aimed his rifle at the other soldier,
disarmed him, and made him open a pass in the Signal Wall. When they
both reached West German territory, the deserter let the other
soldier go and asked him if he, too, wanted to desert. The other
soldier refused and returned to the Czechoslovak territory.
Of
course, the opening of the Signal Wall pass triggered an alarm, but
before an alarm patrol reached the location, it was all over. They
only met the returning hostage. Because of the incident, the soldier
spent a week being questioned by Czechoslovak Military
Counter-Intelligence. Then he was able to return to his unit, where
he served as a dog handler for the rest of his two-year mandatory
service.
When
someone made it through the border to the West, were there any
consequences
for the Border Guards and their commanders?
You
better believe that!
When
someone penetrated the sharply watched Western border, we called it
“a Break-Through“ or “a Hole.“
A
thorough investigation followed. If any Border Guard soldiers were
found negligent on duty and thus responsible for letting the
Break-Through happen, they could receive 21 days in the garrison
jail, or even be prosecuted
and sent to the Sabinov
military prison.
The
company commander and the deputy commander were personally dressed
down by the battalion commander, by the brigade commander, and often
by the HQ inspection from Prague.
If
the company held a title of “Exemplary Border Guard Company,“
then this title was taken away. This would have a great impact on the
unit commander and other officers. Their promotion points were taken
away for years.
For
the next six months that unlucky company could look forward to many
inspections from the battalion, constantly being yelled at by
battalion or brigade officers, and no peace to perform their duty
properly.
In
1989, the political system changed in Czechoslovakia. The Communist
Party lost all the power. What was happening at your unit? How did
you view the changes?
After
November 1989, the higher commanders panicked. They kept asking
themselves, “What will happen to us now?“
We,
the younger Border Guard officers, laughed at them and even wished
misfortune to some of the high commanders. I know that was not too
nice of us.
Because
of the fast political changes, all kinds of rumors spread; no one
knew what would happen next.
In
1990 I looked forward to finally being able to travel to the West. I
went to the Bavarian town of Selb
with
only 40 German Marks (approximately $18) in my pocket. But it was
beautiful.
Back
then, I welcomed the changes. I enjoyed the new freedoms, freedom of
expression, freedom to travel anywhere, and many more. I saw the
future through rose-colored glasses.
In
my opinion, things did not exactly work out great in the end. I think
that the world is a worse place to live today than it was in 1989.
But that is another story.
What
did you do after the Czechoslovak Border Guard was dissolved?
In
1991-1992, I served as a border police officer at the
Czechoslovak-Polish border.
After
Czechoslovakia was split into two new countries at the end of 1992, I
left the service and became a civilian.
Now,
I am just a Lieutenant in the reserves. :-)
Zdenek,
thank you for the interview!
Contemporary
video about the Czechoslovak Border Guard
Interview
by Mirek
Katzl 2022
* * * * *
A BATTLE OF NERVES.
Click for more info:
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