Berlin Wall Built

Setting the scene

By 1961, Berlin was the Cold War's fault line. The city, deep inside East Germany, was divided into four occupation zones. West Berlin was a capitalist island of prosperity, while East Berlin was drab and repressive. Since 1949, 2.7 million East Germans—15% of the population, including doctors, engineers, and teachers—had fled to the West through Berlin, crippling the East German economy. East German leader Walter Ulbricht repeatedly denied plans for a wall, famously stating on June 15, 1961, 'No one has the intention to erect a wall.'

What happened

On the night of August 12-13, 1961, East German troops and workers began sealing the border. They tore up streets, erected barbed wire, and deployed 32,000 troops. By morning, Berlin was divided. Over the next weeks, the barbed wire was replaced by a concrete wall 12 feet high, topped with barbed wire, with guard towers, minefields, and a 'death strip.' Families were separated instantly—people who had crossed for work on August 12 couldn't return home. Over 100,000 people attempted to escape over the wall's 28-year history; at least 140 died trying.

Why it still matters

The Berlin Wall became the Cold War's ultimate symbol of communist oppression and the Iron Curtain made concrete. President Kennedy visited in 1963 and declared 'Ich bin ein Berliner.' The wall stood for 28 years, until November 9, 1989, when East Germany, facing mass protests, opened the border. The wall's fall symbolized the Cold War's end. Its construction had shown that communism had to imprison its people to survive. The wall's legacy includes Checkpoint Charlie museum and memorials to those killed trying to reach freedom. It remains the most potent symbol of a divided world.

Background

It stood until the political upheavals of 1989.