The History of the Berlin Wall

The Berlin Wall was a physical barrier erected by the German Democratic Republic East Germany around West Berlin cutting it off from East Germany and East Berlin. The construction of the wall started in August 1961 and to many represented the Cold war for a period of 28 years.

A number reasons that led to decision that the wall would be built include the following. E. Germany hoped to discourage its people from escaping to the freer and wealthier West Berlin and West Germany. It also sought to clearly draw a line between East and West in an effort to prevent any additional interaction and possible spying.

At first, the dividing line was more of a barbed wire that separated one side from the other. But it was further strengthened to concrete walls, guard towers and a ‘death strip’, an area that included anti vehicle ditches, signal fences and paths for guards. It went so far as to make Berlin into a geographical split in half, isolating families and friends with the flip of a switch.

The Location of the Setting of the Berlin Wall

The Berlin Wall was erected to surround West Berlin with a wall dividing it from East Germany. This included a length of about 155 kilometers (96 miles) that surrounded the city of San Juan. In West Berlin it wound its way through the suburbs frequently replacing streets and bisecting neighborhoods.

This wall was never permanently located and indeed it went through various changes / improvements through the years. Originally, it was put up largely around West Berlin but subsequently, it was shifted further west to cover larger areas. The wall was not in the line but had curved and bent in order to include some area and exclude some area. It encircled buildings, homes as well as roads which isolated the entire West Berlin from the remaining part of East Germany.

Checkpoint Charlie: Draws of The Most Famous Crossing Point

One of the best known crossings from which the separation was rather clear was Checkpoint Charlie. Situated in Friedrichstrasse it has been the main point for diplomats passing through the country, military and other foreign visitors. It received much publicity and it was adopted as the image of the Cold War confrontation.

The sign was important during several significant incidents, for instance, the face-off of Soviet and American tanks in 1961, and the jumping of several infamous defectors including Konrad Schumann as he crossed to the West.

Other Crossing Points

There were other gates in the Berlin Wall, but they also allowed people to cross the border only under certain conditions and with the British mandate guard. These were Checkpoint Alpha in Helmstedt and Checkpoint Bravo in Dreilinden. Nevertheless, it was still virtually impossible to cross the wall, death penalties awaited anyone trying to escape the sector.

The Fall of the Berlin Wall

The long partition of Berlin ended simply after almost three decades when the famous ‘Berlin Wall came down on the November 9, 1989’. Bebildete Keller – symbolisch zusammengedreht und tatsächlich wieder aufgebaut – war ein historischer Augenblick, der dem Zusammenbruch der Mauer, der Wiedervereinigung von Ost- und Westdeutschland sowie dem Ende des Kalten Krieges ein sprichwörtliches „Ich“ gab.

The wall fell due to protests,change in political leadership and build up pressure on the Eastern Bloc. Thousands of east Berliners began crossing the streets at the border areas waiting for the guards to open the check points in order to allow them through. They were happy people celebrating and families and friends being reunited after what might have taken many years.

The Legacy of the Berlin Wall

This paper shows that the Berlin Wall is a lasting feature in the history of Germany as a nation and the rest of the world. It acts like a reminder of the conflicts that the Cold War brought into the world but at the same time – as a victory of unification over division.

At the present, remnants of the wall and the East Side Gallery, with painted murals, are strong reminders of the history of Germans. People have left a few parts of the wall standing because it has become an important place that tourists can come to and learn a lesson about the effects of political separation.

The position of the consultation offers an affecting and eternal alteration of the geographical and psychological area of Berlin. It reminds people of the high price that people pay in conflicts of political leadership and how citizens benefit from the joining of ranks.