Introduction

The Berlin Wall stands as a powerful symbol of the Cold War era, but its history and significance go back even further to the events of World War II. Built by the German Democratic Republic (GDR) in 1961, this barrier physically divided the city of Berlin until its fall in 1989, but its roots can be traced back to the aftermath of World War II.

Background: Germany after World War II

At the end of World War II, Germany was divided into four occupation zones controlled by the Allied powers: these included the United States, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom and France. The Soviet was in charge of east Germany including West Berlin while the other three powers controlled the western part of Germany.

During the Cold War period there were conflicts between the Soviet Union and the West: conflict in terms of beliefs and conflict in terms of political systems. This eventually led to the division of post-war Germany into two separate countries: the Federal Republic of Germany known at that time as West Germany , and the German Democratic Republic also known as East Germany.

This cipher depicts the construction of the Berlin Wall 

After the second world war, many East Germans travelled to the free and the rich area that is West Germany through Berlin. The term for such a movement of population is a ‘brain drain,’ a departure of people with skills and education that was an important worry for the authorities of the Soviet Union and the GDR.

To stop the emigration and maintain the ideological substance of East Germany socialist rule the GDR leadership resorted to building a wall. The Berlin Wall was constructed on August 13, 1961, and that was with little warning given by the East German government. Days later, barbed wires and concrete building blocks built a barrier around the protesters; it was replaced several days later with a more solid wall.

The cross-strait relations: life on either side of the wall

It was not just the dividing physical structure but held different meaning for the people on the two sides of it. While the west Berlinites enjoy free market economy, political freedom, and civil liberties, their counterparts in East Berlin enjoyed restricted civil liberties, policed economy, politically restricted and socially policed community.

Relations were estranged, people lost employment, and overall, there were extremely less chances for people living in East Germany to get ahead in life. Who tried to escape to the West, was either imprisoned or shot – there were no midterms between life and death.

The Fall of the Wall

People over the years of the existence of the Berlin Wall escalated their opposition to the wall, both locally and globally. The Wall also grew to become a symbol of tyranny, separation and also the collapse of communism. In the autumn of 1989, the East Germany government started dominating the headlines through_allow ing_ its citizens to cross over to West Berlin on November 9, 1989. Many people seized the chance and tore down pieces of the Wall with hammers and chisels.

The breakage of the Berlin Wall brought a change in society and in history. Also, it marked the end of cold war interstate division in Europe and led to German reunification; which physically happened on October 3,1990.

Conclusion

The Berlin Wall is something people can remember since it symbolizes the end results of people who fight for different ideals. Its construction and collapse are inseparable from the Second World War and division of Germany into two different countries. Currently, there are souvenirs of the Berlin Wall that symbolize victory of freedom and the human ability to rise above the obstacles.