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DDR Border Sign

Article about: Arrived today from Germany... a reputedly genuine 'Grenzschild'. So the story goes... when the border first started to be dismantled in 1989, a quantity of unused border markers were discove

  1. #1

    Default DDR Border Sign

    Arrived today from Germany... a reputedly genuine 'Grenzschild'. So the story goes... when the border first started to be dismantled in 1989, a quantity of unused border markers were discovered in a warehouse. In 1990 these markers were boxed up and sold off to tourists, and they were issued with a certificate of authenticity and a brief history of the GDR in German and English. The markers were mounted on concrete posts and were held in place by two bolts which passed through the posts and into two 'lugs' on the back of the plate. There were about 2,600 poles mounted roughly 1,600 feet apart along the whole length of the 866 mile border. Reproductions of these always crop up on eBay, in fact the DDR Museum is currently advertising them on there. They claim that theirs are cast from the original moulds, and rather tantalisingly claim that some of their plates 'might' be more than 30 years old. But of course if that were true they would be genuine. But their examples have a screw hole in each corner and no lugs on the back. The genuine examples are cast in aluminium and have just two threaded lugs on the back... all others are fake. Click on images to enlarge.

    Cheers,
    Steve,


    DDR Border SignDDR Border SignDDR Border SignDDR Border SignDDR Border SignDDR Border SignDDR Border SignDDR Border SignDDR Border Sign

  2. # ADS
    Circuit advertisement DDR Border Sign
    Join Date
    Always
    Location
    Advertising world
    Age
    2010
    P
    Many
     

  3. #2

    Default Today's project & a neat display's idea for other Grenze Shields' owners.

    Greetings Steve,

    I own one of those shield's too. Today, I used some shaped Ethafoam (a denser form of Styrofoam) and painted it with the correct colors. I then used some double sided tape to hold the shield in place (the idea being, I easily can reverse/undo anything I have done to it) and now I have a nice way to display the shield. Lastly, I just need to add a painted black straw to the top (lightning rod) and it will be complete. Even with the weight of the shield on just the front side, the ethafoam is dense enough to support it all without the plinth falling over or sagging. Saving the shield's accompanying case/paperwork inside one of my book shelves.

    The project turned out much better than I had originally envisioned it would, as the shaped ethafoam's texture also possesses a convincing masonry look to it.

    Njoy,

    V/r Lance

    Double click the image to enlarge.


    DDR Border Sign

  4. #3

    Default

    Very nice too... but the purpose of the rod on the post is to stop birds alighting on the post and sh**ting on the state emblem! 😂

    Cheers,
    Steve

  5. #4
    ?

    Default

    That Grenzschild is a beauty Steve!
    I have only seen one original, it was last month in Die Welt der DDR museum in Dresden.

    By the way, Lance his Grenzschild is really nice too. A great Job on the display.

    Regards, Rik

  6. #5

    Default

    There is currently one more of these boxed shields on eBay, and they are quite rare. There are more fakes on there than genuine items, but the back of the shield is a dead giveaway.

    Cheers,
    Steve

  7. #6

    Default

    Very interesting "post" literally!

  8. #7

    Default

    Quote by Anderson View Post
    Very interesting "post" literally!
    You can't beat posting a post-war post!

  9. #8

    Default

    That is fascinating, its amazing how something that held so much meaning and that at one point, attempting to take it out of the country could've had dire consequences, to now being an "tourist object", glad to see this piece of history is in good hands and i like what you have done with it.

  10. #9

    Default Meet the twins.

    Greetings again Gents,

    Thought I'd image my creation next to an original. Mine is on the viewer's left when looking at the image. I would need to round the edges and fade the paints colors to create a more exact match, yet at this point, I'm happy with the results. And too, the brighter colors make my reproduction "pop" a bit more when tucked in the corner of the room it is kept in.

    Best,

    V/r Lance

    Double click the image to enlarge.


    DDR Border Sign

  11. #10

    Default

    Very nice rendition of the post Lance, it makes a great display item.

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