The lberalization of trade, one of the most important phenomena of post-war history, has its historical roots in 1961 with the construction of the Berlin wall by the German Democratic Republic (GDR). This wall constructed around East Berlin and isolated from West Berlin symbolizes the separation of the east and the west, the communism, and democracy grudge.

We look at the construction of the Berlin wall.

It was the 13th of August in 1961 that the Berlin Wall was constructed at the early phase of the day. The construction occurred almost overnight, hence shocking most inhabitants of West Berlin. Families were separated because of the appearance of the wall; the event disrupted the entire city greatly.

Reasons for the Construction

The primary cause for putting up barb wire that would create the Berlin Wall was to discourage people from moving from East Germany to west which was more affluent and also politically free moving to West Berlin. Important factors contributing to this decision included:

• Mass Migration: The population in East Germany greatly reduced as thousands of people fled to West Germany monthly.
• Brain Drain: Educated and skilled workers in the East German economy were migrating leading to scarcity of human capital and capital goods.
• Political Pressure: The East German wanted change from the existing system and this saw them revolt against their own government they yearned for freedom andd better opportunities.

Construction Details

The Berlin Wall started out as barbed wire and the wall became more complex in due course. Security measures were enhanced over time with concrete segments, watchtowers, anti vehicle trenches as well as other barriers to the compound wall. The wall which reached 155 km in length inside the city isolated West Berlin from the East German territory.

Life with the Berlin Wall

The building of the Berlin Wall was a dramatic break which changed the lives of people in the divided city.

Division of Families

Officially, the wall went up separating many families from their kin, friends, and co-workers who they could no longer speak to or visit. Due to this, there was great deal of distress on feeling separated and the consequences were every apparent on those affected.

Controlled Border Crossings

After the construction of the wall there were very few points of check points required for people to cross from East Berlin to the West and vice versa. These Checkpoints like Checkpoint Charlie and Glienicker Brücke or the Bridge of Spies turned into rather iconic images of the Cold War.

Escape Attempts

Nonetheless, so many people tried to stage stakisations as much as they could given the daunting presence of the wall. These attempts varied from digging a tunnel behind the wall to constructing a car or a truck to disguise it to even practicing hot air ballooning. While some of these were ratified, others were brought about by failures or even death.

The Fall of the Berlin Wall

The landmark of the division of east and west Berlin for almost twenty nine years was known as the Berlin wall. But in the late 1980s, many winds of change began to blow through the East Germany.

The Peaceful Revolution

Large and furious protests begin to appear in East Germany against the government. This demand for political change in calling for freedom forced the government to surrender.

Opening of the Border

When further pressure arose, in November 9, 1989, the government of East Germany stated that the borders to the West would be thrown open. It became a historic decision because it resulted in a large number of people assembling at the border crossing posts.

Of these the celebrations reunion is by far the most critical.Celebrations/Reunification is, without doubt, the most crucial.

The blessings of the fall of the Berlin Wall were summed up nationally and similarly the world over. Both the east and west Germans scaled it and ushered and dismantled it given the end of the Cold War. It soon laid the foundation for the reunification of Germany in 1990; almost two and a hall decades later than reunification that was originally sought as a war aim by the Führer.

Conclusion

The construction of the Wall in Berlin in 1961 was an epic moment of Germany’s history and of those who lived there. As applied and unexpected it extended its effects throughout physical and mental territories as well as becoming a consequent symbolic representation of the division between East and West. But its collapse in 1989 showed that German people want to unite and are capable of doing that no matter what was happening nearby.