Introduction

The Berlin Wall that divided Germany’s capital bordered East and West Berlin during the Cold War. It was a physical and an ideological barrier between communist Eastern Bloc and democratic West. The East side of the Berlin Wall is the subject of this article and we will cover in detail its significance and characteristics.

History of the Berlin Wall

The German Democratic Republic (GDR) built the Berlin Wall on August 13, 1961 to keep people from fleeing to West Berlin. The East side of the wall was the symbol of oppression and segregation and that marked the border to the two political systems.

Structure of the East Side

There was barbed wire, guard towers, and a ‘death strip’ which varied in width along the length of the wall and a number of security features. The wall on the East Side was made of concrete segments: three metres high and one metre wide in each. On the East Berlin side these segments were painted white, and on the West Berlin side they were covered with graffiti.

Impact on East Berliners

The Berlin Wall was a visible symbol of restricted freedom to East Berliners, but the East Side of the wall itself was more a symbol of hope for some of those inside. And it divided families, friends, colleagues in a very stark and very impenetrable wall. The wall was guarded by strict order guards patrolling the wall who prevented any attempts to escape and often times dealt with the consequences in a very poor manner.

Life on the East Side

And the fact that you lived on the East Side of the wall meant you were, in essence, living under the German Democratic Republic. The state in turn strictly watched on it’s citizens, allowing little freedom to access information and would suppress dissent. Life for East Berliners was difficult, with the economy lagging, travel bans and few personal freedoms.

Economic and standard of living

The East Side close to the Berlin Wall was an economy under central planning; that is to say, the government decided which resources to allocate, how to produce, and what to distribute. It would have been nice if the GDR had provided the essential services and a relatively high standard of living for its citizens, but they didn’t. Basic necessities were in short supply and there was long queue.

Restricted Travel

The travel restriction on the East Side was certainly one of the most striking aspects of the whole thing. When trying to visit the West, East Berliners ran into many bureaucratic procedures, the need for special permits, and the possible denial of permission. East Berliners, all but blocked from the various opportunities and freedoms on the other side, could not get near it.

Aftermath and Reunification

It is important to mention that the fall of the Berlin Wall on 9 November 1989 was probably an important point in history. On October 3, 1990, the reunification of East and West Germany ended the physical and ideological division East Side of the Berlin Wall symbolized.

Legacy of the East Side

After the wall fell, various steps were taken to retain as much as possible as a reminder of what once was, and to explain to future generations what the struggle for freedom meant. The East Side is today represented by remnants in Berlin – powerful testimony to the difficulties in a Cold War.

Conclusion

An actual representation of separation, repression, forbidden freedoms, was the fact that the East Side of the Berlin Wall stood. Its creation and existence involved very much the lives of those who were living on both sides. This is important to understand so that you understand the importance of the Berlin Wall and this final defeat of human spirit.