The best known barrier is the Berlin Wall that divided the city of Berlin from 1961 to 1989 into two parts. Writing about the Berlin Wall which not only separated the people of East and West Germany but also the whole of East and West: The purpose of the Berlin Wall was literally to divide East from West, literally bisecting families and friends, and symbolising the Split between East and West as the communists and the democrats . In this article I will aim at sharing some general information on the construction, functionality and collapse of the famous Berlin Wall.
1. Berlin Wall Construction
East Germany initiated the construction of the Berlin Wall on August 13, 1961, and surprised commoners and leaders worldwide. It was formulated in view of the growing figure of aliens from the GDR, which was under administration of the Soviet, leaving in quest of a better live in the western part of the country with capitalist economy. They created an embarrassment to the GDR and were manifesting itself in massive withdrawals, thereby posing a serious challenge to the stability of the regime.
In the space of some week the border was provisionally razor wired with watch tourers and barrier constructed in the form of a concrete wall 100 yards deep. West Berlin was surrounded by 155 km long wall and was made extremely tough to escape with maximum security.
2. The Impact on Berliners
Its ramifications that existed on the daily lives of people in Berlin could be explained as follows. Immediate and extended relatives could not visit each other or call as they wished due to either side restrictions. To cross the wall was very risky, and many people died when trying to get into the West from East.
In the East it signified control and oppression. The East German government kept a close eye on its people and anyone who it thought was doing something wrong could immediately be reported. At the same time in the West the symbol of the wall was associated with the struggle for liberty and democratic rights.
3. Failed Escape Attempts
However, managing the scale of emigration several hundreds of thousands East Berliners tried to escape to the West. Several techniques were used, which included feeling for the wall and digging under it, and reaching over it. Peter Fechter is perhaps one of the most famous people to try and cross the Berlin wall, he was a young man who was shot dead on the wall. His dramatic passing was seen by everyone and depicted the suffering of all people living in the territory of East.
Despite the success stories, other tries were foiled and the victims were either imprisoned or executed. In fact, the government of the East Germany tried to tighten the security on a regular basis, which kept on becoming nearly unbearable for anyone who wished to escape the country.
4. “Tear down this wall!”
The same pressure increased, at the same years for some changes in East Germany to fulfill the populace’s demands for liberty. The demolition of Berlin wall occurred in November 9th in the evening and did not expect it would happen.
Large scale demonstration in East Germany had exceeded the acceptable levels and one of the Government officials misinterpreted the new regulation regarding travelling. He declared that citizens could freely cross the checkpoints meaning that he opened the border. People gathered around the wall and instead of employing force guards they did not interfere with the people.
Surpassing the concentration of the existing performers, it eyed a hole in the wall and unifying East and West Berlin residents. The weakening of the World, missing the Cubik issue, the fall of the Berlin Wall symbolizes the beginning of the decline of the Cold War and indeed led to the reunification of Germany.
5. The Legacy of the Berlin Wall
Symbolizing the breaking down of barriers ,the Berlin Wall’s standing also reminds one of strength especially of the human soul and the importance of oneness. At present, several parts of the wall are located all over the globe serving as iconic sign of peace, freedom, no more Cold War.
It is possible to really feel the history dancing in front of the Berlin Wall and embrace the meaning and occurrences in near 30 years of division while walking through the Berlin Wall Memorial or East Side Gallery.
Conclusion
The erection of the Berlin Wall, the wall’s effects on Germany and the world, and the destruction of the Wall rank among the world’s most important historical events. This work is capturing the hopeless and powerful times of people who were living in authoritarian environments and the victory of unity over conflict.
Through the Berlin Wall we can continue learning of the value of networking, encouraging understanding and striving to build a world in which barriers – like the literal wall that was erected within Germany – are no longer necessary.