Do you want more information about the famous Berlin Wall? But if this is the first time reading about it, you are in luck because this article is for you. Thus, in this blog post, you are to join a walk through history to reveal all the importance and meaning of the Berlin Wall for Germany and the whole world.
1. Understanding the Berlin Wall
The wall was erected in 1961 in the city of Berlin Germany was actually a barbed wire fence that divided the city into East and West. It was built by the GDR to stop citizens from escaping the socialist rule of East Germany to what was West Berlin, controlled by Western Allies.
1.1 Construction and Structure
The wall had been about 96 miles long, completely surrounding West Berlin. They included concrete segments, watch towers, anti-car ditches as well as a heavily mined and fenced ‘death strip,’ which stretched from one corner of the wall to another.
1.2 Life on Either Side
But more than merely splitting families, friends and communities apart it also imposed different political economy on the East and West Berliners. West Berlin was an undercover of democratic Free World ethos while East Berlin/GDR was a documented communistic regime.
2. Historical Significance
The Berlin Wall was symbolic of Cold War, the division or divide of the world into two distinct domains – the Eastern and the Western, pitting Soviet Union against the United States of America. Its construction aggravated the relations of the eastern and the western world and even physically and politically partitioned Germany for nearly three decades.
2.1 Escape Attempts & Tragic Losses
For many years, people tried to flee east Berlin to obtain from the bondages of the Western part. Some of them attempted to climb the wall, dig under it, or to leap across it; some even tried using hot air balloons. Unfortunately, many met their premature deaths in those attempts because of heavily policed borders and fatal shooting by border officials.
2.2 Fall of the Wall: Reunification
This year, on November 9th, people received a great historical event – the Berlin Wall collapsed. Large non-violent demonstrations and riots also increased in both, East and West Germany, resulting for the border crossings to be opened. Such movement led to the reunification of Germany, and this really took place on the 3rd of October in 1990.
3. The Berlin Wall Today
Today the Berlin Wall is symbolic landmark and can be seen as a prove that once the city was a symbol of division. Quite a few sections of the wall have remained across the city of Berlin to this date and for any visitor there is an opportunity to ponder on division and triumph of union.
3.1 Berlin Wall Memorial
Located in the area of Bernauer Strasse the Berlin Wall Memorial is one of the most informative places to acquaint with the phenomenon. The tourist can walk through a section of the preserved wall, study information about attempts to flee, as well as visit the Documentation Centre.
3.2 East Side Gallery
East Side Gallery is an unroofed art gallery that extends for about 1.3 kilometers down the former Berlin Wall. It is a museum that has more than a hundred of paintings and it means to inspire people how art should be in a free world.
3.3 Checkpoint Charlie
Checkpoint Charlie – one of the most symbolic checkpoints during the Divider of the east – was demoted into a sightseeing object after the Cold War. It gives the viewer an idea of formal and fare conflicts and the high profile showdowns that took place at this era.
4. Lessons Learned
The Berlin Wall is also seen here to symbolize the damage that division brings and challenges people to be one for liberty and respect for individuals rights. So it reflects the philosophic conceptualization of the human spirit and the people’s demand for harmony.
4.1 Cherishing Freedom
Germans who were once divided by the barrier of the Berlin Wall would know that freedom has value and change is possible. It will cause us to appreciate the our freedoms and fight for the full restoration of democracy for all.
4.2 Promoting Unity
This makes the experience of the Berlin Wall relevant to make relationships and forge the unity. This we are reminded that only unites and cooperation can surmount all odds of any compound.
4.3 Remembering History
Finally, cultural identifier the Berlin Wall calls to make societies not to forget the past and repeat the same mistakes. It takes a vision reminiscent of divisions and it seems to bring out the need to build a much better world where walls are demolished.
Conclusion
This event- the Wall in Berlin with its general historical importance and general symbolism in the triumph of unity in a divided century also is very symbolic. Comprehension of experience of the Berlin Wall strengthens our historical perception and provides important lessons for the present and the future.
When visiting the remains of the Berlin Wall and studying history of Germany and the world, think about the spirit of the human being, and his ability to QtWidgets 70.