Notes on the Identification Process
Maker: Peter Bochmann
Date Made: n.d.
Country: German Democratic Republic
Materials: paper
Measurements: 28 cm x 22 cm x .5 cm; 11 in x 8 11/16 in x 3/16 in; 32 cm x 29 cm x 8 cm; 12 5/8 in x 11 7/16 in x 3 1/8 in
Language: German; English
Genre/Form: document
Peter Bochmann was a border guard at Checkpoint Charlie from 1975-1989. He worked for over ten years to develop his “Personal Identification Manual” dated to 1990. This document was written by Peter Bochmann about the identification procedure for training border guards at Checkpoint Charlie. He gives background information on identification procedures, previous issues with identification, a general timeline of his decision to develop and implement the program, and how he believes the information could continue to be useful anywhere individuals must be identified "beyond any doubt." He describes authenticity and identity as "one and the same." Bochmann also describes his belief that if a border guard had the "correct ideological attitudes," that he would be able to precisely identify individuals. Bochmann disagreed, and was also unhappy with training that used psychological tools to determine the authenticity of identities, so he developed this program that would train border guards to match the person trying to cross the border with their passport photo based on physiological (and racial) characteristics, as well as a comprehensive study of passport characteristics. The program was only implemented at Checkpoint Charlie, and only at the end of the GDR.
Collection/Series: Peter Bochmann Border Guard Collection
Accession Number: 2017.015.053