The Cold War was named after a hostility which was between United States and Soviet Union, this was between the late 1940s until 1990s. The city of Berlin became a significant battleground during this era, divided into two separate entities: and split into West Berlin, governed by the Western powers and East Berlin – under Soviet rule. Basically, this blog post will act as a guide on how East Berlin was during the Cold War era.
History of The Construction of the Berlin Wall
In 1961 relations between East and West Berlin have become worse; this caused the construction of the infamous ‘wall’. The Wall or the Barrier was constructed by the East German government in order to stop people from cross to the West. It was 155kms long and cut the city into two parts, thus not only physically but also emotionally decomposing families and friends. Life for people in East Berlin changed as getting across to West Berlin became difficult with watch towers, barbed wire and armed guards preventing anyone from escaping.
Housing and Sanitation in East Berlin
Status of living between east Berlin and west Berlin was definitely different. The government aimed at regulating almost all aspects of the citizens’ lives it received powers to limit their rights and freedom of obtaining information. The society remained in a bad state, and scarcity of most of the goods and services in the society was a norm. Large numbers of people had to live in apartments, and these were in short supply, so many families had to share amenities. Nevertheless, people continued with their life right way, while facing all these challenges.
Checkpoint Charlie
Checkpoint Charlie was the most popular border between the East and the West sectors of Berlin. the wall which has become sort of a brand of the divided city was, well, heavily guarded. It was in 1961 at this checkpoint that the American and Soviet tanks threatened to attack each other. Today one can see the checkpoint rebuilt and serve as the reminder of the history of the city.
Escaping East Berlin
Crossing the border from East Berlin was a very dangerous act during the time and could be death penalty. Some tried to scaling the Wall or burrow under the degree digging tunnels while others tried to wade through water channels nearby. However, these methods were extremely dangerous and not everyone had a good luck while trying to escape. At the same time, the examples and fates of those who got out when everyone got out show how strong and self-sacrposing people are.
Nonviolent Actions and Struggle
In East Berlin, the formation is that there wasn’t much realization of freedom yet there were breaths of defiance every once in a while. People marched peacefully asking for political change and freedom of speech. Of them, one of the biggest was the one in 1989 when thousands of people came to stand at Alexanderplatz demanding changes. These protests grew to cause the collapse of the Berlin Wall and indeed Germany’s reunification in 1990.
Museums and Memorials
Currently, tourists to Berlin can visit several museums and memorials that deal with the Cold War in East Berlin. Checkpoint Charlie Museum provides a short history of the Wall construction and many attempts to cross it. The DDR Museum offers interested parties an authentic and profound insight into the daily lives of the population in East Germany by presenting real objects and installations. One of the biggest communist-era symbols which still exists part of the area called the Berlin Wall Memorial that also features the Bernauer Strasse section and the documentation center.
Conclusion
The book Experiencing East Berlin at Cold War gives the reader a very good insight into this period information. From the division and suffering of the people of the city to the successful protests and reunification of the city the history is deep seeded. To appreciate this historic event, one has to personally visit museums, stroll along the covered Berlin Wall and listen to elderly people, who witnessed these events.