The Historical Context
The Berlin Wall, an iconic symbol of the Cold War era, stood as a physical barrier between East and West Berlin from 1961 to 1989. But the story of its construction begins much earlier.
After Germany’s defeat in World War II, the country was divided into four occupied zones controlled by the victorious Allied powers: the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and the Soviet Union. The Soviet zone eventually became the German Democratic Republic (GDR), the eastern part of a divided Germany. Meanwhile, the other three zones merged to form the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG), commonly known as West Germany.
The Build-Up of Tensions
With more and more aggravated ideological and political conflict, more and more East Germans tried to escape to the West. This led to massive emigration from the GDR, or as the Soviets would call it, brain drain, and this was worrying the Soviet-associated East German government.
As a result, the GDR authorities together with the support of Soviet began to build a wall to prevent people from emigrating away from the east Germany. The formation of the Berlin Wall was observed on August 13, 1961.
Function and Characteristics of the Wall
As one of the main goals, the Berlin Wall functioned to stop East Germans from moving to the West which was richer. This wall had concrete walls, barbed wire fences, watch towers and there was an actual death strip separating the two sides.
The concrete walls reached the height up to 3.6 meters (12 feet) and accommodated guard towers for the walls at 150-meter intervals. In addition to the barbed wire fences after the first stand of barbed wire fences there was the death strip which was a prohibited zone of 100 meters in width containing trenches and anti vehicle obstacles.
Life Behind the Wall
Wall construction cut numerous families and friends in two or radically changed the lives of citizens in either half-divided city. Here, we explore what life was like for those living in close proximity to the Wall:
East Berlin
As to people from East Berlin, having the Wall before their eyes each day symbolized that they would have to live a limited life. The wall also symbolized to the young people physically their exclusion from friends and families in the West and, literally, division between East and the West.
The East Germany government restricted the freedom of the people through putting measures towards their freedom of movement by closing borders and putting surveillance systems. The East Germany secret police that called Stasi also closely shadowed people to ensure they did not try to travel to West Germany.
West Berlin
Though situated geographically in the territory of East Germany west Berlin had a special status of an enclave of the FRG . In this case the Western Allies and especially the United States gave assistance and support – West Berlin was indeed a very special city, but because of them it was rich too.
The Wall however remained a symbol of the divided city for those living in West Berlin and a permanent reminder of the expanding gap between a rich and free West Berlin and a economically struggling East Berlin.
The Fall of the Berlin Wall
The Wall then was one of division, of oppression but could not hold the new Denmark when the winds of change blew across Europe in the late eighties. As the pressure from the citizens of the GDR as well as the world over continued to grow the government relented after announcing on 9th November 1989 that citizens were free to travel.
This event caused a historic decision and people from the east side and people from the west side embraced each other allowing thousands cross the previously fixed borderline. In the matter of several months the physical process of tearing down the wall started which marked the reunification between East mortar and West Germany.
The Legacy of the Berlin Wall
All in all, the event of the breakdown of the Berlin Wall and the subsequent unification of Germany celebrates freedom and represents as well the origins of the post war world in Germany. Thus the wall as symbol of division and separation as well as the consequent loss of individuals who tried to overcome division; yet the wall also symbolizes the indomitable spirit of man and his ability to conquer the divisiveness within him and ultimately unite.
Today fragments of the Berlin Wall have been converted to memorials and people from all over the world flock to see them. The wall presented the unification of Germany, however, it also symbolises the desire for unity of other countries, people craving for the better, and no partitions.
Conclusion
The Berlin Wall was a physical manifestation of the ideological divide during the Cold War, separating families and communities for nearly three decades. While its construction and existence were filled with tragedy, the fall of the Berlin Wall represented a remarkable moment of unity and hope.
The memory of the Berlin Wall continues to remind us of the importance of embracing diversity, fostering unity, and working towards a world where walls exist only as symbols of our shared triumphs and not as barriers that divide us.
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