I would think behind the iron curtain at this time, just taking this photo was quite risky. We seem to be on the same path today....
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In DDR Beyond the Wall, taking photographs of locomotives, stations, depots was not prohibited, you just had to avoid taking pictures near Russian military bases :)
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Nice picture from Löbau!
In reply to A J Erlichman: Taking photographs of trains was not specifically restricted in East Germany at the time, as long as no sensisitive areas (military or border installations and staff) were pictured. There was a native railfan scene and, especially after West German steam operations ended in the 70s, a small but constant stream of visiting railfans from Western countries. However, although photographing trains was tolerated, traveling citizens and visitors could and often would spark the interest of the secret police agency MfS/Stasi. Many were under surveillance. There is a fascinating - if you can call it that - book on the MfS surveillance of West German railfans during their visits in East Germany, "Geheimsache Reichsbahndampf: Die Stasi-Akte »Fotograf«" in German language.
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I am also surprised to see steam well into the 1980s in the DDR! So steam lasted almost until unification - quite amazing.
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