The Berlin Wall was a concrete and barbed wire construct that existed from 1961 to 1989 cutting West Berlin from East Berlin and its vicinity. It was built on the order of the German Democratic Republic otherwise known as East Germany with an aim of preventing right minded East Germans from escaping to the capitalist western part of Germany.
Location and Route of the Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall was constructed along the boundary line between West Berlin and the rest of East Germany. Altogether, the wall ran for about 155 kilometres (96 miles), thus encircling West Berlin. They included walls, fences, watch towers and anti vehicle ditches.
Major Checkpoints and Borders
Some of the areas where one could interchange between East and West Berlin were some which allowed passage through the Berlin Wall. The best-known crossing was the Checkpoint Charlie that symbolized the Cold War. Some other important controls were identified as Control Alpha and Control Beta.
Division of Berlin
Berlin was split into East and West after World War II. The Allies that had emerged victorious were the United States of America Britain, France and the Soviet Union, and hence had divided Germany into four zones and similar were the zones in Berlin. The sectors that were under control of the western allies later formed West Germany whereas the sectors controlled by the Soviet became East Germany.
The Construction of the Wall
The process of constructing a barrier in Berlin started on August 13, 1961. Despite the official explanation from the East German government stating that it served to shield its citizens from the west’s fascists and spies, the construction was mainly realized with the aim of preventing one of the biggest rates of brain drain and emigration of workers from East Germany to the west.
The Fall of the Wall
Until its demolition in 1989, the Berlin Wall was a physical capture of the Cold War political and social split. Yet, on the 9th of November in 1989 the events occurred that contributed to the wall’s collapse. With increasing pressure on it to bring change in the political system, the East German authorities declared that people could move across the border. This historic announcement prompted a large number of people to assemble and this wall is no longer existent to date.
Memorials and Remnants
Today, there are several memorials and remnants of the Berlin Wall that serve as reminders of the city’s history:
- East Side Gallery: This is the longest standing piece of the Berlin Wall which has been repainted afterward and turned into an outdoor artwork covered with multicolored murals.
- Checkpoint Charlie: Today the checkpoint is no longer there, but the actual copy was erected for the recreational purposes of tourists. More information on the history of the wall can be found at the nearby Checkpoint Charlie Museum.
- Mauerpark: This park displays part of that wall and provides a lively environment, with the locality’s traditionally famous flea market as well as an open-air karaoke.
Conclusion
Finally, the border between East and West Germany was the most known barrier of the cold war period, the so-called Berlin wall. It was ever built and destroyed represents an important epoch in history. Modern day Berlin, has several site related to the wall and maintains murals, giving one a sense and feel of what transpired in this part of German history.
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