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ÍNDEX

INTRODUCTION.....................................................................................................................3

OBJECTIVE..............................................................................................................................4

CONTENT.................................................................................................................................5

Berlin Wall.............................................................................................................................5

Background........................................................................................................................5

The Construction of the Wall...........................................................................................5

Crossing the Wall..............................................................................................................6

The fall of the Berlin Wall................................................................................................7

¿Where to see the Remains of the Berlin Wall?.............................................................7

Before: Everyday Schizophrenia.....................................................................................8

After: A gift from History................................................................................................8

CONCLUSION........................................................................................................................11

BIBLIOGRAPHY...................................................................................................................12
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INTRODUCTION

The Berlin Wall was one of the most powerful symbols of the 20th century, a physical and

symbolic barrier that divided the city of Berlin into two parts between 1961 and 1989. Built by

the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) to prevent the flight of citizens to the west,

became an emblem of the Cold War and the ideological division between the communist bloc

and the Western world. Its fall in 1989 marked a historical moment of great significance,

representing German reunification and the collapse of the communist system in Eastern Europe.

The following report will address the significant history of the Berlin Wall: its origin, purpose

and historical relevance. This milestone represents a transcendental event in the history of

humanity, the understanding of which is of utmost importance. Its nature, its impact on society

and the context that led to its construction will be explored, offering a detailed vision of one of

the most emblematic moments of the 20th century.

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OBJECTIVE

This report aims to comprehensively analyze and present the history, political, social and

cultural impact of the Berlin Wall, highlighting its construction, effects on the population,

historical context of the Cold War and its eventual fall, providing a complete vision of this

significant milestone in contemporary history.

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CONTENT

Berlin Wall

The construction of the Berlin Wall and, especially its fall, have been part of the most

important moments in the history of the 20th century. This wall divided Berlin into two parts for

28 years, separating families and friends.

Background

At the end of World War II, after the division of Germany, Berlin was also divided into four

occupation sectors: Soviet, American, French and English. Bad relations between the

Communists and the Allies grew to the point where two currencies, two political ideals, and

eventually two Germanys emerged.

In 1949, the three western sectors (American, French, and British) were renamed the Federal

Republic of Germany (FRG) and the eastern (Soviet) sector became the German Democratic

Republic (GDR).

Berlin was divided and 81 crossing points were created between the two areas of the city.

The Construction of the Wall

By 1961, the battered Soviet economy and booming West Berlin had left East Germany

behind for capitalism.

The GDR began to realize the loss of population it was suffering (especially high-profile) and,

on the night of August 12, 1961, decided to erect a temporary wall and close 69 checkpoints,

leaving only 12 open.

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By the next morning, a temporary 155-kilometer barbed wire fence separating the two parts of

Berlin had been put up. Means of transport were disrupted and no one could cross from one side

to the other.

Over the next few days, construction began on a brick wall and people whose homes were on

the construction line were evicted.

Over the years, there were many escape attempts, some successful, so that the wall was

extended to unsuspected limits to increase its safety.

The Berlin Wall eventually became a concrete wall between 3.5 and 4 meters high, with an

interior made up of steel cables to increase its strength. On top they placed a hemispherical

surface so that no one could grab onto it.

Accompanying the wall, the so-called "death strip" was created, consisting of a moat, a

barbed wire fence, a road on which military vehicles, alarm systems, automatic weapons,

watchtowers and patrols accompanied by dogs 24 hours a day constantly circulated. Trying to

escape was akin to playing Russian roulette with the tank loaded with bullets. Still, there were

many who tried.

In 1975, 43 kilometers of the wall were accompanied by the security measures of the death

strip, and the rest was protected by fences.

Crossing the Wall

Between 1961 and 1989 more than 5,000 people tried to cross the Berlin Wall and more than

3,000 were arrested. About 100 people died in the attempt, the last of them on February 5, 1989.
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The Checkpoint Charlie Wall Museum tells the most curious stories of how people managed

to cross the wall.

The fall of the Berlin Wall

The fall of the wall was prompted by the opening of the borders between Austria and Hungary

in May 1989, as more and more Germans travelled to Hungary to seek asylum at the various

embassies of the Federal Republic of Germany. This led to huge demonstrations at

Alexanderplatz, which led to the GDR government declaring on 9 November 1989 that passage

to the west was permitted.

That same day, thousands of people crowded at checkpoints to cross to the other side and no

one was able to stop them, resulting in a mass exodus.

The next day, the first breaches in the wall opened and the countdown to the end of his days

began.

Once released, families and friends were able to see each other again after 28 years of forced

separation.

¿Where to see the Remains of the Berlin Wall?

The most important part that has remained standing is in the area known as the East Side

Gallery. There you can walk 1.3 kilometers of the wall decorated with impressive paintings that

reflect a multitude of events related to the wall.

In the exhibition called Topography of Terror, located next to Checkpoint Charlie, you can

also visit the Berlin Wall to see some of the most interesting remains.
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Before: Everyday Schizophrenia

Until the fall of the Wall, life in communist Berlin was a permanent approach to collective

schizophrenia. He lived in the constant hardships of the Stalinist system, buying anything even if

it was not needed when he found it, because in hardship anything could be exchanged at a time.

And at the same time, it was known that from the point of view of supplies of all kinds, life in

the capital of the GDR was infinitely better than in the rest of the German Democratic Republic.

But as soon as people arrived from the other Berlin or the FRG, it was clear that on the other side

of the Wall there was an almost insulting opulence.

It was seen and felt. Because not only was there an intense and constant visit from West

Germans, but many foreign workers from West Berlin had set up a racket of sleeping in the

eastern part at eastern prices in private homes and thus brought back West German currencies

that were exchanged at 4 to 1 on the black market.

This secondary market with a super-strong currency highlighted to East Berliners the

economic deficiencies of the system in a way that bordered on the offensive.

For the rest, the police state was identical throughout the country and extremely similar to that

prevailing in the entire communist bloc since the end of World War II.

After: A gift from History

It was only a second, but it undoubtedly marked the lives of the citizens of the former German

Democratic Republic. It was the one that ran from 11:59 p.m. on October 2 to 0:00 a.m. on

October 3, 1990, the day of unification. At that moment, all references to a country, his country,

disappeared: the flag, insignia, anthem, his identity.

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We must not forget that they were the ones who asked for rapid unification with the cry of

"Wir sind ein Volk" (We are a people) that replaced that of "Wir sind das Volk" (We are the

people) at the fall of the Wall. But what may work perfectly on paper may also have a high

human cost. German unification was not going to be any less. The "blooming landscapes"

promised by former Chancellor Helmut Kohl have only reached certain areas. Unemployment is

double in the East, more than a million people have left that part of the country. But there are

also many, especially young people, who have known how to "succeed professionally."

You will also be interested

The question that brought down the Berlin Wall, about the journalist who triggered the fall of

the Wall.

The disenchanted of the left, a report on the path to liberalism of Marxist intellectuals.

In the days of the Berlin Wall, a review of Bridge of Spies.

The Berlin Wall physically disappeared with extraordinary speed and German efficiency, but

another one grew in the heads and hearts of the Germans. Forty years of different socialization

had resulted in different mentalities. Those from the East feel like second-class citizens and

consider those from the West arrogant, superficial and selfish. They describe the Easterners as

distrustful and lazy and are fed up with the costs of unification.

It will take at least another generation to really talk about the new Germany that is being built

"stone by stone." The task of unification was enormous. The process is very advanced. One of its

many tests is the naturalness with which Angela Merkel, a woman from the East, was accepted

as the first chancellor in the history of Germany.

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But, above all, Germans should always keep in mind the gift that history gave them, to those

on both sides, that unforgettable night of November 9, 1989.

Thus was born the Berlin Wall, considered by the communist bloc as a barrier against the

danger of invasion or interference from the Western world. For the West, on the other hand, the

wall became the most notorious element of the so-called "iron curtain".

Concrete and barbed wire became the only arguments with which the communist regime

contained the pull of the free world.

For 28 years, the Berlin Wall separated friends, families, and a nation.
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CONCLUSION

The Berlin Wall represented the division between two opposing political ideologies during the

Cold War, physically and symbolically separating Germany. This division had profound political

consequences, with impacts on international relations and global geopolitical dynamics.

The wall caused a deep separation between families and communities, generating human

suffering and limiting freedom of movement for those living in Berlin. Furthermore, it became a

symbol of repression and oppression by the communist regime in the GDR.

The Berlin Wall was much more than a physical barrier; its history and eventual downfall left

a profound legacy in world history, teaching us valuable lessons about the importance of

freedom, unity, and overcoming ideological divisions.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

civitatis.com. (29 de 08 de 2019). Obtenido de https://www.disfrutaberlin.com/muro-berlin

Lozza, M. (2018). Monografias.com. Obtenido de

https://www.monografias.com/trabajos/muroberlin/muroberlin

Universidad de Navarra. (2009). Obtenido de

https://nuestrotiempo.unav.edu/es/grandes-temas/el-muro-que-cambio-la-historia