Berlin Wall History
World War II left a legacy of separation for Germany. It was the year 1945 and Germany was torn in two. The East became a communist country under the aegis of the erstwhile Soviet Union, while West Germany became a democracy, which was supported by the United States, England and France. |
Berlin, which had been the capital, was also divided in two although it was within East Germany. Though under different regimes, the people were allowed to travel freely from the eastern part of the city to the western, and vice versa. The Cold War, however, was slowly making its presence felt. As a result, in the year 1952, the border between East and West Germany was closed.
This did not stop the people migrating over from East Germany to West Germany. So, East Germany wanted a physical barrier as well. Therefore, in 1961, the leaders of the communist parties met in Moscow and had a long discussion from August 3 to August 5. The result of the meeting ended in a wall, which would be 103 miles long, dividing the city permanently into two parts.
The Wall began as a barbed wire separation and the actual wall was constructed much later.
The Berlin Wall stood tall and daunting for 28 long years. It broke in two the city railway, the underground railway and streets. People were unable to cross over to the other side. However, many did escape, and many more died while trying to escape.
It was finally in November 9, 1989 that the ban was lifted by the new SED government. Celebrations began that very day with thousands entering the western part of the city. Today, there is hardly any part of the Berlin Wall left standing.
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