An East German wanting to flee the country had to scale a whole succession of different obstacles a full list of which is given below :

• A concrete wall (Hinterlandmauer), smooth and light-coloured, around 3.5 metres (11'6") high ; in places instead of this wall there would be a 3 to 4 metre (10-13') high wire-mesh fence, sometimes fitted with an electric warning device ;
• " Stalin's grass ", i.e. steel stakes planted in the ground ;
• A tightly meshed fence 2 metres (6'6") high ;
• An acoustic or optic alarm cable ;
• Wire entanglements ;
• A bunker ;
• A rail on which ran long leads for the guard dogs ;
• A strip of land 6 to 15 metres (20-50') wide, covered with sand so as to leave the footprints of any fugitives ; sometimes mines were buried underneath ;
• An anti-vehicle ditch 3 to 5 metres (10-16') deep ;
• Street lamps 5 metres (16') high ;
• A tarmacked strip 3 to 4 metres (10-13') wide covered by armed patrols in Trabants specially fitted to move noiselessly ;
• 2 metre (6'6") high electric fence that when touched set off a sound or optical alarm ;
• A strip of open land ;