Zonal Travel Permit 1954 for occupied Germany

The Zonal Travel Permit was a personal document officially introduced by the four occupying powers of the German Reich on 30 June 1946, which allowed the citizens of the occupation zones to travel between the inner-German zones (inter-zonal traffic).

After the military occupation of Germany in May 1945, civilians were initially only allowed to leave their place of residence and its immediate surroundings with a permit from the respective occupying power. On 30 June 1946, the border between the Soviet occupation zone and the Western occupation zones was closed. To cross the inner-German border, travelers needed the so-called Zonal Travel Permit, which was valid for a defined time and allowed them to travel within Germany. All travel restrictions between the British and American occupation zones were lifted on 23 July 1946.

The Zonal Travel Permit was thus only important for passenger traffic between the Tri-Zone/Federal Republic and the Soviet Zone/GDR.

On 25 November 1953, the Zonal Travel Permit, which the Federal Republic of Germany had waived since 14 November 1953 in consultation with the Western Allies, was abolished and replaced by the personal certificate. The GDR government joined in so that the visit of the GDR was made dependent only on the residence permit introduced in 1948, which GDR citizens had to apply for visitors from the west of Germany.

What you see here is one of such a document, issued to an Austrian born woman, which occupation is mentioned as “Actress”. You can see a CCCP/USSR visa from March 1954 and a British visa from November 1954. Further, very interesting, early East German (GDR) entry and exit stamps. The document comes in booklet form and has 12 pages.

Zonal Travel Permit 1954 for occupied Germany

Tom Topol | Passport Historian & Author
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