Introduction

The Cold War Barrier known as the Berlin Wall standing from 1961 to 1989 segregated Berlin. But did it extend till the middle of Germany? It is now time to delve deeper into some history and geography: the Berlin Wall .

The construction of the Berlin Wall.

After surrendering in 1945, the nation was operating in four zones and was occupied by Soviet, American, British, and French authorities. Berlin to which Soviets granted access to East Germany also got to be divided into four sectors.

In a bid to contain the flood of East Germans moving to west Germany through Berlin, the East Germany government put up the Berlin Wall on August 13, 1961. It was erected from East and West Berlin but it did not cover even Berlin at first.

Berlin wall remained the symbol of the cold war, and it is worth a look on the fact how the wall evolved over time.

At some point the border protection measures were extended to include other parts of Germany apart from Berlin making changes to the Berlin Wall over time. The first major enlargement took place on 24 August 1961 when barbed wire was put up to seal the border between East and West Germany.

Later a stronger barrier was erected along the boundary of the city and across the length of the Berlin Wall. This made a barrier of reinforced concrete with barbed wire on top, a watch tower & the death strip between inmates & a no man’s land over parts of Germany right through what was left of Berlin.

The Route of the Berlin Wall

Many people do not realize, although the Berlin Wall was primarily in Germany, that it changed several locations, not just Berlin. These included portions that could run deep into the Eastern territory of Berlin, although most of it enclosed west Berlin.

Notable German cities where the Berlin Wall had a presence include:

• Potsdam
• Leipzig
• Dresden
• Erfurt
• Rostock

These and many other cities of East Germany, particularly felt the consequences of a physical barrier – the Berlin Wall.

The Fall of the Berlin Wall

The Berlin Wall came down almost three decades later on November 9 in 1989 caused by mass protests and pressure from East and West Germany.

This event was followed by the reunification of Germany making it one of the last indications of the portfolio of Cold War. Today it is possible to find pieces of the Berlin Wall throughout Germany which makes them symbol of the past and freedom.

Conclusion

After being built around East and West Berlin solely to separate between the two areas, the wall was extended to other areas beyond the city. It went through many places in Germany and impacted the many cities in East Germany. 1991 was an important year in the history of Germany and the continent as a whole saw the collapse of the Berlin wall as a major step to the end of the cold war. Up to date parts of the wall are still standing physically to bring out the hardship and achievements of the German people.