Border Troops of The German Democratic Republic - Subordination of The Deutsche Grenzpolizei (1948-1961)

Subordination of The Deutsche Grenzpolizei (1948-1961)

13 Jul 1948-11 Oct 1949: Controlled by the DVdI

12 Oct 1949-1952: Controlled by the MdI

1952-16 Jun 1953: Controlled by the MfS

17 June 1953-1955: Controlled by the MdI

1955-28 Feb 1957: Controlled by the MfS

1 Mar 1957-14 Sep 1961: Controlled by the MdI

Sep 1961 -1973:Controlled by the NVA, the Grenzpolizei were reorganized as the Kommando der Grenztruppen (KdoGT) der NVA and were moved from the GDR MdI to the GDR Ministry of National Defense (MfNV)

1973 - 1990:Controlled directly by the MfNV. Renamed the Grenztruppen der DDR

1990 - 1994:Controlled by Bundeswehr. The border guards' numbers were rapidly reduced. Half were dismissed within five months of the opening of the border. The border was abandoned and the Grenztruppen were officially abolished on 1 July 1990,; all but 2,000 of them were dismissed or transferred to other jobs. The Bundeswehr gave the remaining border guards and other ex-NVA soldiers the task of clearing the border fortifications, which was only completed in 1994. The scale of the task was immense, as not only did the fortifications have to be cleared but hundreds of roads and railway lines had to be rebuilt.