So, let’s investigate the Berlin Wall – the emblem of division and reunification of Germany. In this article, we are going to look at the beginning and end of the Berlin Wall, and everything in between.
The Berlin Wall, literally underwent construction in 1961.
In the aftermath of World War II, Germany, once a powerhouse, was divided into four occupation zones controlled by the victorious Allies: the USA, the USSR, Great Britain, and France. The same as Paris and many other cities in Europe Berlin, the capital of Germany was divided into four sectors each being under the control of one of the Allies.
During the Cold War itself, conflict between the Soviet Union and Western Allies intensified due to the ideological polarization that strengthened the divide between East and West. In a bid to slow down the exodus from East Germany to West Germany via Berlin in particular, on August 13, 1961 the GDR started construction of the Wall.
The physical barrier that was built during the period was a concrete wall which was accompanied by barbwires and watchtowers and a death strip which details the fact that getting across the barrier was..almost impossible. It was, however,aimed at stopping East Germans from crossing over to West Germany which had perceived better living standards and civil liberty.
The Years of Division
For almost three decades, the Berlin Wall acted as the barrier and the symbol of the difference between East and West Berlin. We lost our homes, our kin and our friends and our dreams were destroyed as two sides were entrenched at opposite ends of the Wall.
It is, however, difficult to identify when the construction of the Berlin Wall really began, although 1961 is taken to be the starting point. To the people of Berlin, the Wall virtually acted as a constant symbol of the division and oppression which they had experienced.
But year in year out, efforts to flee the Eastern Bloc was still on going. People have tried a lot to cross the Wall, the most daring attempts included using hot air balloons or digging a tunnel or even looking for the loopholes at the checkpoints.
The Fall of the Berlin Wall
Thus the years of division came to an end some eleven years later on the 9th November 1989 when the Berlin wall came falling down. This paper attempted to give an account of a number of political and social occurrences which paved way for the reunion of Germany and brought change in the history of the global politics.
Changes of political climate with in the Eastern Bloc especially in East Germany could be attributed to the demolition of the Berlin Wall. The calls for liberty politically became even louder through mass protests which led to change in the GDR government. Responding to a question in a TV press conference, GDR spokesman Günter Schabkowski unluckily stated that border crossing for East Germans was now allowed. This declaration, much as the APF did not intend, created a record breaking flow of people towards the checkpoints.
The End and Reunification
The break up of the Berlin Wall marked a key realisation of the reunification of East and the West Germany. The process of reunification started in Germany in 1990 and on 3rd of October 1990 Germany got officially reunified. This date is celebrated each year as the Day of German Unity.
Reunification needed tough diplomatic and economic work, and there can be no doubt that East Germany became the sick man of Europe. In this case, relative to the eastern part of Germany, there differences where apparent, but later they faded and the country returned to the international stage as a single nation.
Legacy and Lessons Learned
The Berlin Wall is a good example of a barrier; however, it is the nonpareil of freedom. It remains a symbol of the need to be one people, to understand one another, as well as the fails of such things as a wall- whether ideological or otherwise.
Present days few sections of the Berlin Wall are left in Berlin and they offer the place a historic experience and people an evidence of what happened and how far people have come.
Conclusion
The Berlin Wall built with the aim of splitting Berlin into East and West was existing from 1961 to 1989. It fell in the most crucial years in history, and it paved way for the reunification of Germany. Berlin Wall story is about hope, survival, and victory and tells us that division must be replaced with tolerance.
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