Free Walking Tour Berlin

When: Every day 10am & 12pm every day
Where: The meeting point is in front of the ehemaliges Kaiserliches Postfuhramt Berlin, Oranienburger Straße, 10117 Berlin, Germany, next to the entrance.
Price: Free

Breaking Down the Fall of the Berlin Wall

by | Oct 22, 2024 | Original Berlin

The Rise of the Berlin Wall

The Berlin Wall was built by the German Democratic Republic or East Germany in the middle of the Cold War on August 13, 1961. Literally, the wall was built between East and West Berlin with a crude aim of minimizing cases of people from the socialist east side defying the order and crossing to the capitalist western side. It became an emblem of the philosophical dichotomy, the East, with the command economy of the Soviet Union and the newly formed socialist nations of Eastern Europe on one side and the market economy of the Western nations on the other side.

Life under the Berlin Wall

Thus, during almost three decades, the Berlin Wall has influenced significantly the life of people living on either side of the barrier. The families and friends were separated mostly unexpectedly and all activities of a day were cut short. EAST Germans experienced restricted freedom of movement, freedoms and economic equality.

Checkpoint Charlie

The most famous crossing points were Checkpoint Charlie which allowed diplomats, servicemen and foreign visitors as well as individual entering East Berlin from West Berlin. It turned into a representatin of the Cold War and the rivalry between the two World powers, USA and USSR.

The Winds of Change

Though, from the late 1980ies there creativity became apparent signs of the tensions between the East and the West. Even reformist leaders like Mikhail Gorbachev in the Soviet Union mini ske agent glasnost (openness) and perestroika (restructuring) that made politics and social changes intensify in the Eastern Bloc.

The Open Border Movement

The depolarization of East Germany and the revolution to break the Berlin Wall were bottom-up as well as the pull-factor of freedom influencing the decision.. There was a demand for the implementation of the ‘Open Borders’ policy due to the people’s demand against the restriction of the movement put by the authorities.

The Historic Night: November 9, 1989

The end of the Berlin Wall is best associated with the night of November 9, 1989. At the many check points, tens of thousands of East Germans demanded to be allowed into West Berlin. Faced with this pressure and a huge number of people the East German government agreed to open the border and allow people to pass through.

Celebrations and Reunions

There were lots of people that started to rejoice as the concrete wall that separated families, friends, and an entire city was knocked down.

However that started the question many people have, What or Who Brought down the Berlin Wall First and why was the Berlin Wall torn down?

The breakdown of the Berlin Wall could well be attributed to many factors. Internal and external factors helped contribute to the tearing down of East Germany; this paper has also seen that East German citizens strived to be free. There is a place for international diplomacy as well, and the world at large pointed at the wall as an example of apartheid.

The Events that led to the Demise of the Eastern Bloc

The demolition of the Berlis Wall also came as a result of what happened in the final years of the 1980s or early nineties when many Eastern Europe countries underwent serious changes politically to an extent that they formed a new union without the Soviet Union in 1991.

A Symbol of Change

The demolition of the Berlin Wall was inclined to freedom and democracy not only for Germany but for globe as a whole. The very sight of the monument before us turned into a vivid testimony to people’s ability to recover and fight for their right to decision-making.

Conclusion

The break up of Berlin Wall and the events that followed in the immediate aftermath marked the end of Cold War and dawn of a new Europe. It acts as a sign that despite entrenched unequal physical and ideological impediments, these could be brought down if people come together with a single cause. Today towers of the Berlin Wall are examples of the division that was and evidence of the human determination.

Thank you for reading. If you're inspired by the stories of Berlin and want to delve deeper, why not join us on our Free Berlin Walking Tour? It's a wonderful way to immerse yourself in the city's rich history and vibrant culture. We look forward to welcoming you soon.

WHAT TO EXPECT

  • 3.5 hours walking tour
  • Berlin’s major highlights
  • Brandenburg Gate
  • Reichstag and Berlin Wall
  • Historical sites

Free Walking Tour Berlin

When: Every day 10am & 12pm every day
Where: The meeting point is in front of the ehemaliges Kaiserliches Postfuhramt Berlin, Oranienburger Straße, 10117 Berlin, Germany, next to the entrance.
Price: Free