Introduction
Of course, when it comes to big life changing events, pounding down the list after the construction and eventual fall of the Berlin Wall is: This Cold War icon, hermetically sealing off East and West Germany, was an ugly reminder of the divide that marked the world after World War II.
The Construction of the Berlin Wall
That was during the morning of August 13, 1961, an unprecedented event in Berlin – the building of the Berlin Wall. The wall which was built by the German Democratic Republic (GDR) also known as East Germany and East Berlin, to stop West Berlin from being cut off by East Germany and East Berlin.
The border between East and West Germany was, at its outset at least, quite permeable. So many East Germans wanted a better life in a more prosperous West that it created a huge brain drain of people from the communist regime. Under Soviet influence, the East German government decided to build a physical barrier which could prevent further emigration.
Several materials were used in construction of the wall: concrete segments, barbed wire, guard towers. It was roughly 96 miles long and had an inner and outer wall separated by a “death strip” full of mines and other deterrents to resisting safeworking.
The Impact on Berliners
The building of the Berlin Wall affected instantly and profoundly the city’s inhabitants. But families and friends were suddenly separated, unable to visit their loved ones on the other side, or communicate with them. The social fabric of Berlin was torn apart by this and many were devastated, thousands of people wanted reunification.
In East Berlin, restricted movement was allowed for all people and people were closely monitored. But East German government imposed strict controls to keep people in the country and away from a comparatively freer West. Guarded checkpoints were set up, anyone trying to cross the wall with out valid permission could be shot.
The Fall of the Berlin Wall
At the end of the 1980s, winds of change were blowing across Eastern Europe. Protests by east German citizens became more and more anti their oppressive government, who wanted a more democratic society. We also could point to a series of events leading up to the fall of the Berlin Wall but it ultimately culminated in a historic night of celebration on November 9, 1989.
The Peaceful Revolution
In the months prior to November 9, 1989 East Germany saw peaceful demonstrations take place to a large extent in Leipzig, East Berlin, and other smaller cities. The ‘Peaceful Revolution’ continued to grow numerically and in intensity, with thousands of citizens pressing for political reform and what they called reunification.
Unpublished November 9, 1989: Under mounting pressure the East German government announced new travel regulations on this day. It was meant to assuage the restrictions on travel to the West. But with a miscommunication and confusion, the statement had different meaning in mind of public.
The Fall of the Wall
Hundreds of East Germans rushed the checkpoints when news of the border’s opening spread. They unsuspectingly let the crowds march through the border guards, overwhelmed and unprepared. Following the news, people climbed the wall, celebrating and embraced their fellow Germans on the Western side.
It began out as only a minute of delight, but shortly a thorough elimination of the wall. They all came together to destroy a concrete barrier that had stood for nearly three decades — Germans on both sides.
Conclusion
And the Berlin Wall that had simmered for 28 years until it fell on the wall of will of the German people. This was the beginning of the end of the Soviet Bloc, and the means of bringing back East and West Germany together.
The fall of the Berlin wall is a shining tribute to all that is good about hope, unity and a people blind to the chains of oppression by whom they hoped for freedom. Today remains ancient wall remnants, the indication of past and symbol of human optimism and will to live and to build a better future.
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