Berlin Wall

Berlin Wall

The Berlin Wall (in german: Berliner Mauer) was build in 1961 by the East German Government and lasted until 1989. East Germany declared the wall as a protection of their citizens against capitalism.
The Wall completely encircled West Berlin and separated the city from East Germany, including East Berlin. It was constructed to stop emigration from the East Bloc into West Berlin.
The Berlin Wall symbolized the Iron Curtain between the Western World and the East Bloc and with that the difference of the most powerful political systems at the time.
Behind the wall on the east side of the city was a wide area so called ‘death strip’ where east germans had no access to. This area contained guard towers, anti-vehicle trenches and other defenses.
Statics say that around 5000 people attempted to escape to the west side within the 28 years of wall existense with a resulting death toll between 98 and 200 people.
The fall of the Berlin wall on november 9, 1989 was a result of several weeks of civil unrest in East Germany. At the same time the GDR (German Democratic Republic) witnessed citizens escaping into the West German Ambassy in Hungary hoping to leave East Germany.
In the night of november 9, the GDR announced on their news that East German citizens could visit West Berlin. Crowds of East Germans crossed the wall that night into West Berlin where they were euphoricly welcomed.
The German Unification was formally concluded not even a year later on october 3, 1990 and is a national holiday in the united Germany.
Most parts of the wall were removed but an original part still stands in Berlin, Muehlenstrasse 1, 10243 Berlin-Friedrichshain. There you find an exhibition about the history of the Berlin Wall.