The Berlin Wall(Berliner Mauer)

By Anne Mary (Anja) Camara

Erected by East German government / August of 1961.

Separated East Berlin from West BerlinDivided for 28 years

The Wall

Why the Wall?

• Closed border in 1952• Between 1942 and 1962, about 2.5 million East Germans (skilled workers, intellectuals and professionals) fled to West Germany, threatening to destroy East Germany’s economy• Wall was erected because of the number of East Germans escaping to West Germany• West Germany was better off than East (Marshall Plan)• East Berlin was communist-lead

Building of the Wall

Building of the Wall

• Built during a weekend where most Berliners slept while the East Germans began to close the border

• East German troops installed barbed wire fences (original Wall)

• Fences later replaced by concrete walls topped with barbed wire

• The Wall running through the city center, which separated East and West Berlin from one another, was 43.1km (almost 27mi) long

Security• Concrete wall, 12 feet high

• Barbed wire• Hundreds of guard dogs

• Randomly placed mines buried under the ground• 16 foot ditch to stop vehicles from attempting escape

• Electric fences• “Death Strip” of barren land

Checkpoint Charlie

• President John F. Kennedy ordered checkpoints

• Three checkpoints at different points in the wall

• “Charlie” because of the American alphabet

• Other walls were Alpha & Bravo

• Most famous checkpoint

Casualties• An estimated 940 people died trying to escape

• A number of others died by jumping off of buildings or drowning

• Most shocking failed attempt: 18 year old, Peter Fechter

Fall of the Wall• Mass demonstrations against the government and the system in East Germany began at the end of September, until November 1989• The government prepared a new law to lift travel restrictions, effective immediately• On November 9th, 1989, Gunter Schabowski announced “private trips”• This caused massive gatherings of citizens• Wall “woodpeckers” began tearing down parts of wall immediately• On November 10th and December 22nd, checkpoints were opened for pedestrians• Not until July 1st, 1990, did the East and West finally reunite