2-ostritz

Part 2: Ostritz – Wostrowc

An Upper Lusatian town that is interesting because of something that is located outside of it – the train station Krzewina Zgorzelecka, that after the war appeared on the other side of the border, as it is located on the other side of the Lausitzer Neiße. However, as the rail line was (and still is) mostly (now completely) used by the German rail operators (Deutsche Reichsbahn in the DDR, DB Regio shortly after the Bahnreform and ODEG now, the station used to be operated by the PKP as well, on the line to Bogatynia). Before Poland joined the Schengen area, if the people from the German train didn't want to leave the country, they were escorted to the border by the Border Guard (and by the Border Protection Troops in the PRL era) after getting off the train. They could also go through immigration and customs. In 1993 the local border traffic agreement was implemented, that made the border restrictions much lighter. There is no border guard here since 2007 and their outpost is now a grocery store. There is no Bundespolizei (the successor of the German Bundesgrenzschutz) station as well.