Doodendraad

The German army wanted more control over Belgium during the First World War. and closed the borders between Belgium in April 1915? with the neutral Netherlands hermetically sealed with a 2000 Volt electrical wire. This thread was called the Death Thread. Contacts with people within "den Doodendraad" were almost impossible due to the strict censorship of letters and newspapers. This situation encouraged smuggling, often in a highly organized manner. Not only written documents but also food, clothing, seeds and even people were brought across the border unseen by "the Death Wire".