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Did East or West Germany Build the Berlin Wall?

by | Mar 7, 2024 | Cold War Tour Berlin

When it comes to one of the most famous buildings in history, the Berlin Wall is considered unique. It towered over the city of Berlin for almost three decades, breaking the city right down the middle. Yet who was responsible for constructing this notorious wall? Okay, let’s go back to history and see whether it is true or not.

The Construction of the Berlin Wall

Berlin Wall was built by the German Democratic Republic otherwise known as the East Germany in 1961. It was constructed to partition East Berlin from West Berlin during the period when the world was divided by communism and freedom. Scattered, the wall divided streets and neighborhoods, and even families, separating East and West by communism and capitalism.

It’s important to speak about the reasons when the concept of constructing was used for creating such building.

The main reason of the Construction of the Berlin Wall was purely political and ideological in nature. The main reasons include:

Preventing mass emigration: East Germany was also plagued with a large number of people emigrating from East Germany to West Germany. This construction was meant to check such a flow in order to accommodate the required skilled manpower and intelligentsia in the east .

Securing Soviet control: The Soviet Union required a strong political power to back up its control over East Germany and also to stop other eastern bloc states from switching sides to the west.

Political statement: Actually the construction of the wall also served as a means to assert the authority of East Germany and map out the state boundaries.

Flashing Forward: The Process of Building the Berlin Wall

Almost unaware the construction of the Berlin Wall occurred and brought shock to Berlin residents and the division of the city. Here is a breakdown of the process:

Planning: The actual construction of the wall was started when East Germans began construction of the barrier several months before hand. Part of this included figuring out the exact details of where the wall was and general areas which had to be secured.

Construction: August, 12th of 1961 that East Berlin was surrounded with barbed wire frontier to split it from West Berlin. Over the days, these fences were upgraded by a more formidable concrete wall in an indication that the facilities were doubling up as gethos.

Timeline: Its construction developed throughout the years and was maintained and improved in terms of its thickness and size. Extra provisions included watchtower, dog kennels and anti-b CHARSET burglars continued making repeated attempts to escape; so watchtowers, dog runs and anti_vehicle trenches were incorporated to thwart such attempts.

Fall of the Wall: The Berlin Wall broke on November 9, 1989, due to political changes and the pressure that accumulated on the East German authorities. The result of the fall of this wall instigated the reunification of Germany.

The Legacy of the Berlin Wall

This paper reveals that effects of Berlin Wall today: extends to Germany and the rest of the world up to date. Some key aspects include:

Symbol of the Cold War: It has also grown into a symbol of division between East and West specifically the height of the cold war.

Historical significance: As much as the Airlift and Cold War were brutal to the German population, and especially citizens of West Berlin, the Wall served as a bitterly sweet symbol of reunification.

Tourist attraction: Currently the wall exists as a landmark and a marvellous sight because represents a meaningful history and the victory over it.

In Conclusion

The Berlin Wall was built by the Germans Democratic Republic commonly known as East Germany in 1961. It was developed mainly to stop huge scales of emigration, consolidate soviet authority, and send out a message. The construction of this wall was a very swift affair and acted as the identity sign of the cold war till the break down in 1989. Knowledge about the history and the existence of Wall around Berlin gives an idea about the division of Germany, a great insight into the unification of Germany.

Did East or West Germany Build the Berlin Wall?