The Berlin Wall is renowned as a picture of the division, which was actually a fortification that divided West Berlin from East Berlin and from the East Germany during the war. The separated barrier known as the Berlin wall was built by the German Democratic Republic- GDR and remained standing for almost three decades before it came crumbling down in 1989. In this article, you will come to know about how far the Berlin Wall stretched, and you will have much better knowledge of it.

Historical Context

After the war, the country was divided into four zones or occupation and administered by the US, Britain, France and Soviet Union. Also, the division of the city resulted from tensions between the occupying forces where the Soviet Union on one side countered other three forces. The physical barrier most people associate with this division is the building of the Berlin Wall in order to keep East Germans from fleeing to the West.

Length and Structure

The Berlin Wall ran about 155 kilometers (96 miles) through the city of Berlin. It actually comprised of two solid sides with a lethal zone or death strip in between the two walls. Death strip was a zone, which was equipped with barriers such as fence, barbed wire, various towers and other forms of protection against fugitives.

The wall itself was one inner concrete wall and outer wall made of precast concrete slabs. Between these two walls there was a gap known as the “Hinterland Wall” through which patrol dogs and vehicle could pass unhampered.

Border Crossings

The Berlin Wall had several passageways specifically for people’s movement from one side of the wall to the other side. Some of the well-known border crossings were:

• Checkpoint Charlie: The center near it was one of the most recognized border crossings.
• Glienicker Brücke: It was a bridge outside Berlin, and captured spies were exchanged there between the United States and the Soviet Union.
• Stresemannstraße: This crossing joins west Berlin to the East German suburb of Düppel.

Timeline of the Berlin Wall

Year Event

1961 The formation of the Berlin wall starts during the night.

1963 Kennedy makes his inauguration speech to support the people of West Berlin by saying – “Ich bin ein Berliner.”

1971 A new wall is built around West Berlin and concrete segments are added on top.

1989 On November 9th the Berlin Wall collapses which in turn led to the reunification of Germany.

Legacy

The Berlin Wall is still a symbol of the Cold War which divided the world into two parts. Today sections of the wall itself known are in pieces of monumental sculpture at different parts of the world and it was an important thought that emphasize the significance of unity of people and the problem of the barriers.

Visiting the Berlin Wall

If you are planning to visit Berlin, there are several sites where you can explore and learn more about the history of the Berlin Wall:

• The East Side Gallery: Situated on the River Spree it is an open-air art gallery featuring mural paintings made on a remaining segment of the wall.
• The Checkpoint Charlie Museum: Located is on the site of a former border, they describe the life during cold war and personal experiences, successful and unsuccessful attempts of escape.
• The Gedenkstätte Berliner Mauer: This is a site where one can learn history of the whole process of Berlin wall and even get to see sections of the actual wall and put up monuments.

Conclusion

Most people found the Berlin Wall as a major barrier that ran for about 155 kms, across the city of Berlin for several decades. Its importance as a physical divide and more importantly a Cold War emblem cannot be underestimated. Now only fragments have remained of the wall, and they are symbolic today of the importance of unity and of the victory of freedom over a division.