The Berlin Wall is a barrier built by the German Democratic Republic (GDR), to prevent its citizens from fleeing into West Berlin. This was the wall which divided East from West Berlin, and that eventually came to symbolise the Cold War and the division of Europe. But, if you’re interested when the Berlin Wall construction began, then check out the timeline below.
Background: The Cold War and Berlin
World War II had divided Germany into four occupation zones, occupied by the Allied powers United States, United Kingdom, France and the Soviet Union. The Soviet occupied zone also divided Berlin, the capital city, into four sectors although Berlin lay deep inside the Soviet occupied zone.
Relations between the Soviets and the Western Allies worsened as tensions grew between the Soviet Union and its Western partners. In 1948, the Soviets cut all access — land and water — to West Berlin to try to push the Western Allies out of the city. It was this event, nicknamed the Berlin Blockade, that eventually brought with it the Berlin Airlift which involved supplies being shot in by air to keep West Berlin afloat.
The Construction Begins: August 13, 1961
The Berlin Wall was officially built by construction on August 13, 1961. GDR soldiers began building barbed wire fences and barricades and closed East Berlin off from West Berlin. But these initial measures were only temporary and no doubt paved the way for a far more substantial wall to come.
Evolution of the Wall
During the construction, temporary measures were replaced by positive structure. The Berlin Wall was finally the sort of (or a) formidable barrier, about 12 foot high of concrete segments, barbed wire and guard towers. The 96 mile belt surrounding West Berlin completely.
Since then the wall has been modified over the years to make it more effective. Included were radial addition of more barbed wire, trenches, as well as an inner wall. It was heavily fortified inside and out between the inner and outer walls, as well as various security measures in place to keep escape attempts down.
Impact on the People
Life in Berlin was changed by The Berlin Wall. They separated families and now individuals are trapped on the wrong side of the wall. In effect, East Berliners were cut off from the economic opportunities and travel freedom enjoyed by West Berliners.
Any escape attempt was punished dearly, with imprisonment, and, in some extreme cases, even death. But many were brave enough to try to cross the wall through any means available, tunnels, hidden compartments in vehicles, or leap out the windows overlooking the wall.
End of the Berlin Wall: November 9, 1989
That symbol of division, the Berlin Wall, fell in 1989, nearly three decades later. Along its border the wall opened up to mass protests in East Berlin and Soviet control was gradually eased. The wall came down and thousands converged from both sides with celebration writing a new chapter not just in the life of Berlin, but also in the history of city walls.
Conclusion
On August 13, 1961, the Berlin Wall started to be constructed in answer to political tensions and the wish of the GDR to keep people from fleeing westward. The Cold War wall was such a physical expression of division and a wall (albeit a low one) that nearly remained up for nearly three decades. It ended, however, in 1989, and the end of such division between East and West Berlin was a real moment in history.