The existing of the Berlin Wall was one of the most conspicuous manifestations of the spirit of the cold war. It divided both East and West Germany into two parts and acted as a bar between the East block communism and the West liberal democracies. Decidedly the construction and the later destruction of the wall has influenced the world history. In the subsequent article, the author aims to present the chronology and main facts connected with the construction of the Berlin Wall.
Event: The Construction of the Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall was build during the night between August 12 and August 13 of 1961 as an act from the GDR authorities. The main motive of the construction was to stop the east Germans from escaping to West Berlin which was deemed the western ideologies.
Initially, surrounded the perimeter was covered with barbed wire and then replaced by a concrete fence filled with metal and a smooth pipe so that it was impossible to get over the fence. Thus, it ran over 96 miles encircling and splitting Berlin into the eastern and western part.
Its Effect on Berlin and the People of Berlin
The barriers that were erected by the government had great discontent to the people of Berlin. The long-time partners and relatives were divided together with that a nation living in Soviet zone of East Berlin suddenly lost connection with west part of the city. The segment of the wall symbolically remained the division of communism and a capitalist west, or the Iron Curtain.
This wall that they built had very bad psychological impact on the citizens. Barbed-wire fences, watch towers, check-points and soldiers patrolling formed a constant and vivid reminder of the division and prohibited freedom of movement. Many families were split apart; hundreds of East Germans attempted to flee to the West via any means possible; tunnels, hot air balloons, crossing the Spree using rubber boats.
Key Milestones and Events
The Fall of the Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall was for twenty-eight years an obstacle between East and West Berlin. However as the cold war weakened citizens on both sides of the wall demanded freedom as well as Germany to be brought again as one.
On November 9, 1989, The GDR declared the freedom to travel where east Germans were free to go anywhere they wished. Wanting to get through the wall, thousands of East Germans built a barrier and began this by pushing at the checkpoint. Pressure on the border guards grew due to a lack of clear guidelines, so in an attempt to prevent scores of people from storming across the border, border checkpoints were opened, and many individuals used determination and elation to remove sections of the wall.
After this historical day, the demolition of the wall started actively. Workers from all other parts of the world flocked the place either to collect tokens or to help in the removal of the concrete structure that separated Berlin for 28 years.
Legacy of the Berlin Wall
The collapse of the Berlin Wall symbolized the conclusion of the superpowers’ forty-year conflict and paved the way to unification of Germany. It is a strong symbol of what divided ideologies do and why human spirit yearns for independence.
Some chunks of the berlin wall can still be seen in the modern parts of the world today serve as memorials of some parts of the history of the world. It also remains a symbol and source of people’s Lessons for Appreciating Integration, Open Frontier, and Freedom Over Dictatorship.
Conclusion
Building and tearing down of this wall were significant events in the calendar of world history. This separation still carries its effects up until this present time because of the different physical and ideological barriers that have been constructed all over Europe. Knowing the time line and main events of Berlin Wall it is vital to comprehend the meaning and victory for liberty in the world that this emblematic wall denoted.
