The Rise of the Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall served as a concrete symbol of the chasm between Western countries and the Soviet controlled Eastern Bloc during the Cold War. Construction of the wall started on August 13 1961, but its roots went back to the end of the second world war 1945 when Germany was split by the Allied powers into occupied zones with the US, the Soviet Union, Britain and France.
The Cold War therefore brought Germany to a place of central focus. There was an increasing number of East Germans fleeing to the West not only to find freedom but better living conditions, as the two sides grew more ideological and the German government reached the end of its rope. It was a massive exodus, which the communist regime in East Germany was unwilling to contemplate and which led to the building of the Berlin Wall.
The Construction Process
It was put up by the German Democratic Republic (GDR) under the auspices of the Soviet Union. When I first talk about it, in 1961 barbed wire fences went up overnight at the end of August round Berlin, in the hope of preventing East Germans from getting out to the West of the city. Through time, these makeshift barriers were replaced with a more formidable manmade structure which was becoming known as the Berlin Wall.
The concrete segments, each several tons, were used to build the wall. The wall was these segments, measuring 3.6 meters (12 feet) high, and rounded tops to discourage people attempting to climb or grip the wall. The wall was patrolled with armed guards and also had watchtowers with searchlights to make escape attempts incredibly risky.
Fortifications and improvements were made along it length and the construction continued for several years. Most of the wall extended along the Berlin Wall border between East and West Berlin, but it surrounded the whole of West Berlin, splitting it from East Germany.
The Fall of the Berlin Wall
For 28 years the Berlin Wall was a physical and ideological divide. A series of events and a misunderstanding on November 9th, 1989 meant the border was quickly and almost immediately (for Berlin) opened, nightmarish. A government official did something that’s not his job — he gave the impression that travel restrictions were going to be relaxed — when they were clearly not. Its announcement triggered a wave of euphoria among East Germans who turned to border crossings by the thousands.
The border guards were overwhelmed by the situation and didn’t know what to do so they opened the checkpoints. East Germans celebrated their newfound freedom by pouring thousands of them into West Berlin. On both sides of the wall, people swung hammers and the like to climb up on top, and bring along hammers and chisels to break off therevenues and souvenirs.
The Aftermath
The fall of the Berlin Wall signified a huge moment in world history, the end of the Cold War and unification of Germany. Almost immediately after that people on both sides alike got down in the street to tear the wall brick by brick, making what turned into a symbol of unity rather than divisiveness. It was a long, difficult process, but the placेs which had previously separated the city were removed and Germany was united.
The Legacy of the Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall is a good example of how political division was costly and how you want freedom. Residue of that era of separation stands as a memorial — as a tribute to those who endured it. Today parts of the wall are maintained as destinations of historical interest in Berlin with tens of thousands of visitors from all over the world seeking to explore what happened during this time.
Conclusion
Completion of the Berlin Wall in 1961 finished the division of East and West Germany, as the symbol of ideological clash of the cold war. This was the triumphant wish for freedom and unity against division and oppression, when it fell in 1989. I remember how the Berlin Wall was built, how it came down, and how both symbols evoke how important open borders, communication and most of all human will to be free are.
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