Three German states launch new conservation project along the former Iron Curtain border
The 'Grünes Band Dreiländereck' project aims to preserve the unique biodiversity of the former inner-German border strip, with Federal Environment Minister Carsten Schneider attending the launch in Mödlareuth.
From death strip to nature refuge
Once a heavily fortified border between East and West Germany, the 1,400-kilometre strip from the Baltic Sea to Bavaria is now a thriving nature reserve known as the 'Green Belt'. The decades of restricted access gave the land what the German Federation for the Environment and Nature Conservation (BUND) calls a 'breathing space' for nature.
The border strip became a refuge for more than 1,200 rare and endangered plants and animals.
A new tri-state project
Today, the states of Bavaria, Saxony and Thuringia are launching the large-scale conservation project 'Grünes Band Dreiländereck' at the tri-border area. Federal Environment Minister Carsten Schneider (SPD) is expected to attend the event in Mödlareuth, a village once divided by the inner-German border. The project's goals are to preserve and develop the Green Belt and its surroundings.
Biodiversity hotspot
BUND chairman Olaf Bandt recently described the area as a 'hotspot of biodiversity' that connects landscapes and habitats, contributes to natural climate protection and functions as a climate corridor. Notable species include the golden marsh fritillary butterfly, the freshwater pearl mussel, the lynx and rare orchids such as the lady's slipper.
The area is a hotspot of biodiversity, connects landscapes and habitats, contributes to natural climate protection and functions as a climate corridor.
A European network
The Green Belt is part of a European network stretching over 12,500 kilometres from the Arctic Ocean across the Black Sea to the Adriatic, linking protected areas along the former Iron Curtain. The German section has been on the country's tentative list for UNESCO World Natural and Cultural Heritage since 2024.
- Fall of the Berlin Wall; BUND initiates the 'Green Belt' project weeks later.
- Green Belt added to Germany's tentative list for UNESCO World Heritage.
- Launch of the 'Grünes Band Dreiländereck' project by Bavaria, Saxony and Thuringia.
Memory and nature intertwined
The project's organisers emphasise the connection with other relics of division: numerous memorials and remembrance sites, such as the German-German Museum in Mödlareuth, lie along the Green Belt, blending conservation with historical commemoration.
