Climbing in Saxon Switzerland (GDR) – a path to freedom in a socialist dictatorship.

Saxon Switzerland (Sächsische Schweiz), a region close to the city of Dresden on the river Elbe, is in fact a small mountain range with steep rocks. Even in the nineteenth century, people started climbing the sandstone and developed a proud tradition of strict ethical rules. The use of ladders or any other devices was not allowed. Organized in small clubs, the climbers developed their own identity with a strong feeling of independence. After World War II however, the climbers were forced to join the new socialist sports organizations. The communist functionaries tried to re-define climbing as a conventional sport, but the climbers continued to dream of liberty, friendship, nature and adventure. There was thus considerable friction between the German Democratic Republic officials and the climbers. Climbing became a way of escaping from the socialist society. With the help of different sources, such as interviews with contemporary witnesses, magazine articles and summit registers, this conflict is described and analyzed in the present paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]