For more than a quarter of century it was present in the city of Berlin, dividing the city into two parts – East and the West. For a long time, it emerged to represent the superpowers’ schism of the Soviet communism and the Western democracy. When, however, was the construction of the Berlin Wall completed and how did it get there? It is now time to look at further history of this mighty structure and the path that led to its destruction.
The Construction of the Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall was constructed on August 13, in 1961 and the entire process of constructing it took a few days. It was constructed by the German Democratic Republic or East Germany to avoid the”){text}
Its construction was done by the German Democratic Republic or East Germany to avoid the
With escalating tensions between East and West, the East German regime put up barriers that increasingly made it almost impossible for anyone in the country to flee. Literally hundreds of thousands of East Germans fled into West Berlin to make political asylum, or to have better living conditions and freedom. This caused a migration of skilled manpower and professionals from the East helping the western countries to get a hold of the eastern countries resources and brains.
In order to reverse this emigration crisis the GDR government; decided to build a barrier that physically split east and west Berlin. The primary barrier at first was constructed out of barbed wire or wire fence and soon it became a series of concrete walls, watchtowers and trenches for vehicular barrier and comprised of 144 kilometers approximately.
The Impact of the Berlin Wall
This work is to compare and contrast the effects of the construction of the Berlin Wall on the people and the city. People were displaced, some of their relatives reached one side and the other remained on the other end. The wall represents the grim Cold War and the fight between Democracy and communism.
For the people of East Germany there was a sense of proclaiming their imprisonment in an odious regime. They were monitored, had restricted information, and movement. That wall crushed their ambitions and damped their dreams of better living.
On the other hand West Berlin symbolic of freedom and huge opportunities for success because of this, many people flocked into in order to seek refuge and a better life. Dividing the city in two, the difference became gradually a visible sign of the antagonism between the two major ideological enemies of the period: the East and the West.
The Final of The Berlin Wall And The Reunification of Germany
Thus the Berlin wall itself being concrete for twenty eight years epitomized the East and West divide. But it gradually collapsed due to public pressure and shift of power balance on the international level.
Popular demonstrations against the GDR authorities, as well as liberalisation processes introduced by the Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev were the prerequisites. Society demanded more freedom and stronger democracy which contributed to extensive public protests in East Germany, The government stated on November 9, 1989 that travel restrictions were to be liberalized.
Precisely on that day thousands of citizens of East Berlin congregated at the wall, over powers the border guards. Pleased and encouraged they started s氝king parts of the wall as a remembrance of the past and working towards reunion.
The Reunification of Germany
The breaking down of the Berlin Wall signified the start of reunification of the two Germany’s. It only took about a year, on 3 October 1990 for East and West Germany to become one country again, reunited.
The reunification was and still is a political and economic process as well as the major social and cultural upheaval of eastern and western parts of Germany. Despite the existing difficulties, reunification symbolised the victory of democracy within the country and a starting over of Germany.
The Legacy of the Berlin Wall
Today the dividing wall is a reminder of the suffering and struggle of the German nation. Some parts of the wall have been retained and serve as both history and easily explainable tourist attractions related to the Cold War and the fight for liberty.
The breaking down of the Berlin Wall marked as the demarcation between Cold War and a new globe politics. It indicated the feasibility ofthe joint endeavors and the hope of those, who yearned for freedom.
Before arriving at the Berlin Wall Memorial and reading how it had been built in this place, it seems to me that one gets deep and rather painful impression. It acts as aBadge of Honour as to the need for unity, freedom and the spirit of man respectively.
Conclusion
The Berlin Wall erected in August, 1961 divided East and West Berlin for nearly twenty-nine years.. Constructed to try to stop the flow of people from East to West Germany it brought what for the people was unthinkable, unnecessary suffering as well as the stark physical representation of the division of ideologies.
The Berlin Wall falling on November 9, 1989, signified the hope to be a single Germany again, the following year. Currently, only the fragments of the wall still exist and theareaisaco-edefenseoftheGermany people and the victory of freedom against the oppressors.
