Grenzmuseum Sorge
Open-air border museum on the former inner-German border near Sorge in the Harz, with a watchtower, fences and a small exhibition in the old train station.
About the museum
Until 1989 the Harz village of Sorge lay directly on the inner-German border and thus within the GDR's strictly controlled restricted zone. After the border opened, the municipality saved a section of the border fortifications from demolition. The result was an open-air museum in the forest near the village, with an observation tower, expanded-metal and signal fences, a dog run, the patrol road and a border marker post. Ten large panels and a multimedia guide explain the border regime; the site lies on the Green Belt and is freely accessible at all times.
In the 1990s the environmental artist Herman Prigann created the “Ring der Erinnerung” (Ring of Remembrance) nearby, a circular wall of dead tree trunks that is both a memorial and a habitat for animals and plants. Since 2006 the border museum has also been a stamping point of the Harzer Wandernadel hiking badge program.
In January 2007 the association Grenzmuseum Sorge e. V. was founded and has looked after the site ever since. In fall 2009 it opened the Kleines Grenzmuseum (Small Border Museum) in the former station building, with objects from the service of the GDR border troops and the everyday life of border residents, as well as a training model of a border installation from the training company in Halberstadt. The observation tower was restored in 2019/20.
Highlights
- Original preserved border section with observation tower, fences and patrol road
- Land art work “Ring der Erinnerung” by Herman Prigann
- Kleines Grenzmuseum in the old train station with a model of a border installation
- Multimedia guide and ten information panels on the grounds
- Free admission, open-air site accessible around the clock
Permanent exhibitions
- Freiland-Grenzmuseum – Preserved remains of the GDR border fortifications with tower, fences and patrol road, explained by panels and a multimedia guide.
- Kleines Grenzmuseum – The exhibition in the old train station shows equipment and documents of the border troops, everyday objects from the restricted zone and a model of the border installations.
- Operated by
- Grenzmuseum Sorge e. V.
Admission & discounts
Admission is free.
| Groups (5+ people) | –Guided tours for 5 or more people year-round by registration (at least 10 days in advance), lasting about 2 hours; prices not published. |
|---|
The Kleines Grenzmuseum and the open-air site are free; donations to the association are welcome.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible: no information
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom: no information
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome: no information
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
The open-air border museum is in the forest, about a 1.5 km walk along a forest track from the Ebersbachstraße parking lot; no information on accessibility is available.
Kids & families
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Bus 265 from the direction of Wernigerode/Benneckenstein or 262 from the direction of Braunlage (not on school-free days in Lower Saxony); by Harz narrow-gauge railway to Sorge. Free for vacation guests with HATIX.
By car
Free parking
Free parking at the Kleines Grenzmuseum (Köhlerbergstraße, former train station), on Ebersbachstraße (from there about a 1.5 km walk to the open-air border museum), and across from Hotel Sonnenhof; hikers' parking lot on the L97 between Benneckenstein and Hohegeiß.
The forest road from the Ebersbachstraße parking lot must not be driven on.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes · approx. 2 hrs |
|---|---|
| Audio guide | yes |
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Multimedia guide for smartphone or tablet on the outdoor grounds. Tours (about 2 hours, Kleines Grenzmuseum and outdoor grounds; for school classes 2–2.5 hours) for 5 or more people with registration, meeting point at the Kleines Grenzmuseum. |
