When was the Berlin Wall built and torn down?
| Berlin Wall | |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 52.516°N 13.377°ECoordinates:52.516°N 13.377°E |
| Construction started | 13 August 1961 |
| Demolished | 9 November 1989 – 1994 |
| Dimensions | |
Why did they take down the Berlin Wall?
In 1989, political changes in Eastern Europe and civil unrest in Germany put pressure on the East German government to loosen some of its regulations on travel to West Germany. The fall of the Berlin Wall was the first step towards German reunification.
Who brought down the Berlin Wall?
On June 12, 1987 — more than 25 years after the Berlin Wall first divided the city’s East and West — U.S. President Ronald Reagan gave a famous speech in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, challenging his Soviet counterpart Mikhail Gorbachev by declaring, “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall.”
How did Berlin get divided?
After World War II, defeated Germany was divided into Soviet, American, British and French zones of occupation. The city of Berlin, though technically part of the Soviet zone, was also split, with the Soviets taking the eastern part of the city.
What did the Berlin Wall symbolize?
The wall, which stood between 1961 to 1989, came to symbolize the ‘Iron Curtain’ – the ideological split between East and West – that existed across Europe and between the two superpowers, the US and the Soviet Union, and their allies, during the Cold War. The whole Cold War could be reduced to this one nexus point.
Why was Berlin so important?
Berlin was a focal point of the Cold War, and one could even argue that the Cold War started and ended in Berlin. Berlin had been the capital of Nazi Germany before it was captured by the Soviets in 1945. East Berlin was the capital of East Germany, and West Berlin was under the control of West Germany.
How did the Berlin Wall impact the world?
The Berlin Wall dismantling saw anti-communism, and communism intolerance, spread quickly around Eastern Europe with free elections and economic reforms following suit.
Why was the Berlin Wall important to history?
The wall separated East Berlin and West Berlin. It was built in order to prevent people from fleeing East Berlin. In many ways it was the perfect symbol of the “Iron Curtain” that separated the democratic western countries and the communist countries of Eastern Europe throughout the Cold War.
How did the Berlin Wall affect the economy?
The occupation of West Germany by many wealthy countries drastically boosted their economy. Once the wall fell, however, there was a glaring issue with East Germany being far behind West Germany economically. They lost their currency, and many government workers for the GDR (German Democratic Republic) lost their jobs.
How did the Berlin Wall cause tension?
Due to the failures of the summits, the tension over Berlin INTENSIFIED. As a result, even more Berliners crossed to the West just in case Khrushchev closed the border. At night, East German troops built a barbed wire fence around Berlin and between East and West Berlin.
How far did the Berlin Wall stretch?
27 miles
How many died trying to cross the Berlin Wall?
140 people
How many years did Berlin Wall stand?
For the next 28 years, the heavily fortified Berlin Wall stood as the most tangible symbol of the Cold War—a literal “iron curtain” dividing Europe.
How did the Communists decide to keep people from leaving East Berlin?
On August 13, 1961, the Communist government of the German Democratic Republic (GDR, or East Germany) began to build a barbed wire and concrete “Antifascistischer Schutzwall,” or “antifascist bulwark,” between East and West Berlin.