By learning about East Berlin’s past you can better recognize the major political transformation Germany underwent. This post discovers when East Berlin turned communist and studies how that decision shaped urban growth.
The Division of Berlin
Following World War II, Berlin was divided into four zones, each controlled by the Allied powers: East Berlin came under communist control when four powers (Britain, France, the Soviet Union, and the United States) took charge of this part of Germany. After tensions rose between the US and Russia these initial partition steps transformed into permanent separation of the regions.
The eastern half of Berlin under Soviet rule developed into the German Democratic Republic (GDR), people called this section East Berlin. The area in western Germany under other Allied power control officially became the Federal Republic of Germany and people called it West Berlin.
The transformation of East Berlin into a communist nation started
After the region split East Berlin started to develop into a communist nation. The move started when the Socialist Unity Party of Germany formed in 1946 to take charge and put socialist rules in place.
East Berlin fully embraced communist rule in 1949 when it declared itself as part of that political system. The GDR became its own nation under this deal which made East Berlin act as its capital. In 1961 the Berlin Wall installed as a barrier confirmed East and West Berlin’s clear separation.
Soviet authorities strongly impacted the system.
The Soviet Union influenced East Berlin’s political system by steering its social progress. Soviet Union guided GDR decisions by making the government embrace communist beliefs and practice economic planning rules with personal rights limitations.
The Life in East Berlin
The time had different ways of living in East Berlin but the public faced strict monitoring and monitoring practices throughout this period. The government monitored all media content strongly and let few people visit West Berlin while enforcing loyalty to party beliefs.
Despite facing stern limitations East Berlin built strong systems in education and healthcare. The government put major funding into these areas leading to education and healthcare services that were generally available to all residents.
The Fall of the Berlin Wall
People could only walk between East and West Berlin through physical border security for thirty years. After Cold War tensions eased and continued calls from East German citizens the GDR government made travel between the two Berlins possible again.
On November 9, 1989 the Berlin Wall opened up as a major historical milestone. When the Berlin Wall fell at the end of 1989 government officials in 1990 completed the process of reuniting these two parts of Germany under one nation.
Conclusion
Communist social order emerged in East Berlin first in 1949 when the German Democratic Republic started functioning. Building the Berlin Wall in 1961 made East and West Berlin socially isolated as it formed a permanent physical border.
While life under communism had its difficulties East Berlin experienced progress in specialized sectors. Once the Berlin Wall fell and Germany reunited East Berlin marked the end of its communist era.