Eckertal
Encyclopedia
Eckertal is a village of about 160 inhabitants in the borough of Bad Harzburg
in central Germany, just north of the Harz mountains. Its nearest neighbour is the village of Stapelburg
in the state of Saxony-Anhalt
.
Its parish is bordered to the north and west by the Schimmerwald forest and to the east by the River Ecker.
During the period of the post-war division of Germany Eckertal was a popular tourist destination as, on the West German side of the border was an observation tower from which the Inner German Border could be viewed.
built an aircraft munitions depot west of the village. On 10 April 1945 this was totally destroyed when the German blew it up. The force of the blast destroyed window panes in the station at Bad Harzburg seven kilometres away. On the munitions site, which had an area of 240 ha, there were over 120 bunkers and a large number of bomb craters with a diameter of up to 60 m. Even today (2009) the Lower Saxon bomb disposal
service continues to work at Eckertal.
When the Berlin Wall
was opened on 9 November 1989 in Berlin
it was only a question of time before the Inner German Border followed suit. On 11 November 1989 around 4.30 pm the border was opened between Eckertal and Stapelburg.
From a historic point of viwe this was the first new border crossing between the GDR
and the FRG. Today a monument commemorates this event. It bears the inscription "Einigkeit und Recht und Freiheit für das Deutsche Vaterland".
Bad Harzburg
Bad Harzburg is a town in central Germany, in the Goslar district of Lower Saxony. It lies on the northern edge of the Harz mountains and is a recognised saltwater spa and climatic health resort.- Location :...
in central Germany, just north of the Harz mountains. Its nearest neighbour is the village of Stapelburg
Stapelburg
Stapelburg is a village and a former municipality in the district of Harz, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Since 1 January 2010, it is part of the municipality Nordharz....
in the state of Saxony-Anhalt
Saxony-Anhalt
Saxony-Anhalt is a landlocked state of Germany. Its capital is Magdeburg and it is surrounded by the German states of Lower Saxony, Brandenburg, Saxony, and Thuringia.Saxony-Anhalt covers an area of...
.
Its parish is bordered to the north and west by the Schimmerwald forest and to the east by the River Ecker.
During the period of the post-war division of Germany Eckertal was a popular tourist destination as, on the West German side of the border was an observation tower from which the Inner German Border could be viewed.
History
In 1936 the WehrmachtWehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
built an aircraft munitions depot west of the village. On 10 April 1945 this was totally destroyed when the German blew it up. The force of the blast destroyed window panes in the station at Bad Harzburg seven kilometres away. On the munitions site, which had an area of 240 ha, there were over 120 bunkers and a large number of bomb craters with a diameter of up to 60 m. Even today (2009) the Lower Saxon bomb disposal
Bomb disposal
Bomb disposal is the process by which hazardous explosive devices are rendered safe. Bomb disposal is an all encompassing term to describe the separate, but interrelated functions in the following fields:*Military:...
service continues to work at Eckertal.
When the Berlin Wall
Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall was a barrier constructed by the German Democratic Republic starting on 13 August 1961, that completely cut off West Berlin from surrounding East Germany and from East Berlin...
was opened on 9 November 1989 in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
it was only a question of time before the Inner German Border followed suit. On 11 November 1989 around 4.30 pm the border was opened between Eckertal and Stapelburg.
From a historic point of viwe this was the first new border crossing between the GDR
German Democratic Republic
The German Democratic Republic , informally called East Germany by West Germany and other countries, was a socialist state established in 1949 in the Soviet zone of occupied Germany, including East Berlin of the Allied-occupied capital city...
and the FRG. Today a monument commemorates this event. It bears the inscription "Einigkeit und Recht und Freiheit für das Deutsche Vaterland".