The old Iron Curtain that split Germany in two for 40 years has turned into a green ribbon that runs north to south across the country and is home to 1,200 endangered animal and plant species.
This is particularly the case with the freshwater pearl mussel that is cultivated in a breeding station.
“Here, nature has been left to itself for a very long time,” explains Wolfgang Degelmann of the NGO Bund Bavaria.
A place of memory
Enclosed vegetation may also be protected by barbed wire and dividing lines between West and East.
Since reunification, environmental NGOs have been fighting to preserve this nature reserve which stretches over 1,400 kilometers and also bears witness to the brutality of the East German regime.
As in this village, cut in two until 1990, and where 300 people perished while trying to cross the border, today making the green ribbon a place of memory.
"When you see it up close, it's still moving, even though 30 years have passed", testifies a visitor.
"This border has long been a symbol of the separation of the two Germans, and it is now a very beautiful place where nature and the environment are protected."
Thirty years after reunification, Germany pledged to recognize this green ribbon as a national natural monument.
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