Every time we hear of Berlin in Germany then we begin to ask our selves whether the city was in East or West Germany. Berlin is a city with a past, and division during the cold war had a major impact in the political map of the world. In this blog post, you will be able to read the history of the division of Berlin and find out if it was located in the eastern or western part of Germany.
The Division of Berlin
After World War II, Berlin, as well as Germany as a whole, was split into four occupation zones controlled by the victorious Allied powers: the United States, the United Kingdom, France and the USSR. When the conflict between the West Allies and the Soviets grew, Berlin also divided.
Wall also known as ‘die Mauer’ constructed by the German Democratic Republic or East Berlin divided the city of East and west Berlin between 1961 and 1989. Let me mention though that rather the city of Berlin was geographically situated in the territory of East Germany.
East Berlin and East Germany
East Berlin was an urban centre, as well as the political capital of the German Democratic Republic. In East Berlin the government of the German Democratic Republic or GDR came into being. This is in contrast to East Berlin, which formed part of eastern bloc and had keen control from the Soviets.
Condition in East Germany was different as compared to west Germany where people had better living conditions. It was an economy with central plans, and the given country was politically following the socialism system. Some of the restrictions included; people with health complications couldn’t travel, prostitution was outlawed, and travel between East and West Germany was prohibited.
West Berlin and West Germany
West Berlin was situated right in the center of East Germany. West germany’s exclave it was the only region of West Germany that was not bordered by the rest of the country. While geographically entirely encircled by East Germany, West Berlin maintained a political position close with the FRG or West Germany.
West Berlin played an important role during the Cold war as it was a dem for the western power in an eastern soil. West German government actively supported West Berlin and ensured that the economic as well as living standards were good.
Reunification of Germany
1989 is a notable year since break up of Berlin Wall brought about significant change in the political landscape of the world. It brought an end to Cold War and prepared ground for unification of Germany. German Tayma: two parts: East Germany and West Germany rejoined on October 3, 1990 officially to become one single united country.
Conclusion
Cold War Berlin remains a significant approach to understand Berliners and the city they lived in during this period. In terms of location Berlin was in East Germany yet it had the political freedom of West Germany. This work briefly discusses how the fall of the Berlin Wall and Germany’s reunification led to changes and the new face of Berlin.
We trust that Through this blog post, you have gotten a better understanding of the history of the division in Berlin and whether Berlin belonged to East or West Germany. The history of Berlin is a convoluted one but this simple symbol shows how people in a city can be united, and how strong they are.