Ograniczenia w fotografowaniu w strefie nadgranicznej Środkowego Nadodrza w latach 1945–1956
Limitations of photographing in the frontier area of the Central Odra Region in 1945–1956

Summary/Abstract: The Decree of President of Poland of 1927 introduced, among others, a frontier zone, 2 km wide from the frontier line, where a number of prohibitions for people were in force. Limitations of photographing in the frontier zone of the Poznań Voivodship were announced immediately before the outbreak of war in 1939. After the World War II and moving the frontiers of Poland to Odra, the powiats (districts) located on the middle course of Odra were included into Poznań Voivodship, and in 1950 they were incorporated into newly constituted Zielona Góra Voivodship. After the war, the former State Borders Law was in force until 1956. As early as in 1945 the Poznań voivod ordered the registration of the photographic cameras, but not until 1949 the regulation of Poznań voivod was issued concerning the possession of cameras and obtaining permission to make photographs in a 6 kilometres wide frontier zone for amateur and professional purposes. Exempted from permissions were military servicemen, photographers making photos on business, and those who passed by the frontier zone. The permissions were issued by the powiat authorities after obtaining the opinion of the powiat Security Service and the Border Protection Troops. In the mid-1950s the principles of issuing permissions were tightened. The time of their validity was shortened from a year to several months with a possibility of prolongation, and the photographers working for the state institutions were obliged to obtain permissions. These limitations, as it seems, followed from the fear of espionage by the foreign states.

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