Report about the situation of refugees in the British Zone 1948 Commentary (Script One)

A lot of refugees coming from the east into the British Zone cross the border at night. They are looking for emergency shelters where they can dry their clothes and can have a rest on the straw. This barn is situated about 50 metres this side of the border near Jerksheim.

Normally these new arrivals would not be a problem but the zone is already overpopulated by refugees.

Castle Eutin in Schleswig-Holstein.

In this part of the British zone the population increased more than 70% since 1939, while the number of available apartments has decreased by the influence of the war.

The Madamenweg-Bunker in Braunschweig. It has no windows. Many of these people have been living here for 2 or 3 years with artificial light. Four million German refugees moved into the British zone as a result of the war and the border changes in the east. The problem to integrate them into the economy is not solved yet.

There are hundreds of refugee camps in the zone. This is Ehndorf near Neumunster.

In addition to the refugees there is the permanent stream of prisoners of war returning home from Russia. Approximately 200,000 are still expected. For them too, space must be found.

The bloated faces betray hunger edema, caused by low fat prisoner food.

In the daytime refugees cross the border too. On this occasion they come through the forest north of Helmstedt. Here they cross the line of demarcation in the brown coal area of Offleben.

The border is guarded on one side by the east- zone police and Russian soldiers. Here the Russian zone begins.

On the other side are west-zone police on horses and on foot as well as English soldiers. They have the authority to send back illegal immigrants.

Near Musingen some of them are handed over to the east-zone police.

(Script 2)

Helmstedt. Those who have an interzone passport are allowed to cross the border here. At intervals along the border there are official posts where border crossing and traffic in both directions are allowed if the necessary papers are shown. More come than leave. More than 30,000 refugees are registered every month in the British zone.

Walkenreid im Harz.
This bus crossed the border near Friedland in the south of the zone.

In the north Herrenburg near Lubeck is the official border crossing point. On one hand these refugees have passports for the border controls but, for the most of them the residence permit is still missing. Thus, the next objective for all the people who came legally or through the wood and rivers, is a residence permit, working permit and ration coupons for the British zone. But only the responsible municipal administration or one of the three transit camps can give this authorisation.

The transit camp for Schleswig-Holstein is Poppendorf.

The German camp administration is checking the statements of the refugees. For some the residence is denied, others are allowed to go to their friends and famillies. All those who are not allowed to stay by the regulations in force are moved to Wipperfurth.

Wipperfurth is the transit camp for Nordrhein-Westfalen.

From here the refugees are spread out to other camps in the country. Refugees who can prove to have crossed the border in the area of Niedersachsen are returned to Ulzen.

This is Ulzen. The transit camp for Niedersachsen.

Some of the refugees are examined for infectious diseases.

Malnutrition, a typical disease of refugees.

Refugees that are received go by special trains to the various towns of Niedersachsen.

New refugees - a room in the barracks of Ulzen. Temporarly, more than 360 people
live, eat and sleep here.

(Script 3)

All these refugees are waiting for the decision to see if they will get a residence permit for the British Zone. Every case is properly checked. Indiscriminate acceptance of all refugees would considerably decrease the living standards of all, but especially of the four and a half million refugees already living here. The administration of the border controls lies in the hands of the German local governments and their effort is to receive those who are suffering the most, - but only so many so that the difficulties of the those already there will not increase more.

The man in the white jumper is a farm worker. He came to find work. His parents still live in the East Zone, he is sent back.

This man's profession is a bricklayer. He states that he has been politically persecuted and that he is not allowed to work in the Russian Zone anymore. Since he can prove his statement he is received.

This man is looking for work too. He came with his wife and seven children over the border. But the wish to improve his situation does not entitle him to residence.He must go back again.

This woman wants to return to her husband who stayed after his release from prisoner of war camp in the British Zone. - she is told that she has to apply to the city administration of Remscheid as her husband is now working in Remscheid.

This girl from East Prussia has lost her father. They wanted to cross the border together but they lost sight of each other. As she has been in a Russian prisoner camp since last October she is received.

This young painter is asking for the right of asylum because of political persecution. She can only be received if she finds employment.

This woman from Dresden wants to go to her son in Luneburg. She gets the information that she has to apply to the major there.

This woman is coming out of Russian prison. Her husband was killed. She is permitted to move to her brother in Stade.

The husband of one of these sisters has been living in the British Zone since the end of the war, but at this time he has no fixed place of residence. Although the aim is to unite families, in this case the woman has to return and wait until her husband is registered and has the residence permit. But even afterwards, the sister cannot be received.

This boy wants to visit his father in Braunschweig. He is permitted.

This woman is expecting a child in two or three weeks. Her husband came into the camp to pick her up but also in this case the rules for family unification cannot be applied as the husband has no residence permit. So his wife has to go back.

This young worker has no passport. He says that he is coming from a French prisoner camp and would like to stay here. - as he received the latest news from his parents from the East Zone, he is not permitted.

This woman has come for the fourth time and is rejected again. Until 3 years ago she was living in Flensburg. Then she moved to Magdeburg, in the Russian Zone. Now she wants to go back to Flensburg. But this is impossible.

This woman came with her 3 children. She wants to go to her husband, who works in the Ruhrgebiet. But the husband has changed his address and is living together with another woman. She is told she has to go back into the East Zone.

(Script 4)

All those who are rejected residence in the British Zone get a ticket to Schoningen where they have to find their own way across the border.

This is the only refugee camp in Schonigen: an old theatre. It appeared that only very few of the rejected people from Ulzen came here. The hall was mainly occupied by new arrivals.

This woman came has just come over the border. She was so tired that she lay down her children and fell asleep standing next to them.

But those rejected who do not want to return are walking through the Zone. They are looking for shelter and hope one day to find work and a place to live again. They spend the night in waiting rooms and in old air-raid shelters.

Translation by Gero Wolfgang Pawlowski