Most of the buildings on Schwanenallee as well as on Bertinistrasse, which began just behind the New Garden, became state property as of 1949. They were used by Potsdam City Council, by border troops, as well as by the Ministry for State Security. The villas on Schwanenallee were located in the border area from 1961 on. Partitioned into rental units, they were mostly allocated to state employees such as teachers, policemen and veteran functionaries. All occupants were vetted by East German security for their political reliability.

The residents on Schwanenallee had to pass the checkpoint near Glienicke Bridge in order to reach their homes - Photo: Privatbesitz

Those permitted to stay received a border ID that entitled them to enter the restricted zone. Visitors, manual laborers or couriers had to apply for a special permit, which entailed rigorous political screening and was not necessarily granted. The border area began on Berliner Strasse, about 300 meters before Glienicke Bridge, where the tram tracks still end nowadays. The frontier barriers on Schwanenallee started just beyond the front lawns and consisted at first of barbed wire and fences. They were reinforced and expanded over the years with the addition of electrified signal fences and dog runs. Finally, in the 1980s, a wall was built here too. At night the border was floodlit in order to prevent escapes.