The Berlin Wall

The Berlin Wall was a barrier that separated West Berlin from East Berlin and the rest of East Germany.

After World War II, the city of Berlin was divided into four sectors. The Soviet Union controlled the eastern sector. The United States, Britain, and France controlled its western sectors.

East Berliners could still visit, shop, and even work in West Berlin. But by 1961 East Germany’s poor economy and increased political tension between the Soviet Union and the West caused thousands of East Germans to move to the West. To stop people from leaving, on August 12, 1961, a wall was built to close the border.

The Berlin Wall began as a barbed-wire fence but was eventually fortified with concrete slabs. It was 96 miles long and almost 12 feet thick. Checkpoints along it allowed tourists from abroad, diplomats, and Western military personnel to cross into East Berlin. Guards patrolled it to prevent escapes, but 5,000 people escaped over the wall into West Berlin. Another 192 were killed and 200 were injured in failed attempts.

About 1987, the political situation began to change. Mikhail Gorbachev, president of the Soviet Union, eased tensions with the West and introduced some liberal reforms, including more open government. Citizens in other Communist-controlled European countries began to demand similar reforms.

In 1989, large anti-government demonstrations in East Germany forced the government to resign. The new government promised to lift the travel ban for East Germans. On November 9, a government minister mistakenly announced that they could cross into West Berlin immediately. That night, thousands went to the wall and the overwhelmed guards opened the checkpoints to let them through.

Within a year, the Berlin Wall was dismantled except for short sections that were left as memorials. East and West Germany were unified on October 3, 1990.