About the Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall lasted for 28 years. It was built on August 13, 1961. The gates opened on November 9, 1989. The Berlin Wall divided East and West Germany. The wall kept East Berliners from freeing to the West. The wall affected a lot of people's lives. There was barbed wire before the actual "Berlin Wall". The wall was made of concrete elements and square blocks. The wall was improved over the years. The West Germans called the wall, Schandmaur, the "Wall of Shame". The Berlin Wall is a symbol of the Cold War. Before the wall, both sides of the city could move around freely. The subway and railway between East and West Berlin was broken. The Berlin Wall wrapped around West Berlin. They tore up streets to make the wall.
Stats About the Berlin Wall
- The City of Berlin was split into 4 zones.
- The Berlin Wall had 4 generations.
- The land next to the wall could detect footprints.
- There were 8 border crossings.
- There were 302 watchtowers.
- Some watchtowers were 250-300 meters apart.
- The watchtowers were connected by paths.
- There were lampposts every 30 meters.
- There were 20 bunkers.
- There were 127 alarm and detector devices.
- There were 259 paths for guard dogs.
- There were 7 units of soldiers.
- There were more than 10,000 guards.
- There were 8 border guards killed.
- The were 192 people killed on the Berlin Wall.
- The were 200 people injured.
- More than 5,000 people escaped.
- The border length around West Berlin was 96 miles (154.5 km).
- The border between East and West Berlin was 27 miles (43.45 km).
- The border between West Berlin and East Germany was 69 miles (111.04 km) long.
- 23 miles (37.01 km) of the border went through residential areas.
- The wire fencing was 41 miles (65.98 km) long.
- The signal fence was 79 miles (127.14 km) long.
- The mesh fencing was 41 miles (66.5 km) long.
- The military roadway was 77 miles (124.3 km) long.
- The military roadway was 7.33 yards in width.
- There were anti-vehicle trenches that were 65 miles (105 km) long.
- The height of each wall segment was 3.6 m.
- The width of each wall segment was 1.2 m.
- The weight of each wall segment was 2.6 tons.
- The border went through 192 streets.
What Happened at the Berlin Wall?
- A truck carrying a group of East Berliners crashed through the wall, the driver got shot, but kept going.
- A young woman made a U.S. uniform, crossed over to the East, and brought back a couple of friends.
- People swam across a river to cross the border.
- Over 100 people escaped through a sewer.
- The East Berliners who escaped became a hero in the West.
- More than 2 million people from East Germany celebrated in West Berlin.
- "Only today is the war really over", one Berliner spray-painted on the wall.
- People escaped by sewers, flying in hot-air balloons, and by driving high-speed through the wall.
- Chris Gueffroy was the last person to die at the Berlin Wall.
- Gunter Schabowski said they were opening the gates.
- The meeting between President Kennedy and the Prime Minister, Khrushchev, ended without any results.
- Erich Honecker wanted to block off East Berlin.
- Soviet leader, Nikita Khrushchev, demanded to resolve the problem with people fleeing.
- Walter Ulbricht requested that he would take measures to stop the problem, but he got denied.
- A group of people took 6 months to dig a tunnel from West Berlin to East Berlin to help 57 people escape.
Checkpoint Charlie
The wall had three checkpoints, Alpha, Bravo, and the most famous one, Charlie. The checkpoints were named by President Kennedy. Allied personnel and non-Germans walked through Checkpoint Charlie. Checkpoint Charlie is where an American and Soviet tank faced one another. Checkpoint Charlie also appears in spy movies. In February 1997, Checkpoint Charlie was marked with a red line.
When did the Events Happen?
Anti-communist riots broke out in June 1953. About 200,000 people fled in 1961, before the wall. On August 13, 1961, the Soviets were sealed off by a wall that ran through the city. On November 9, 1989, at 10:30, they opened the borders. On November 22, new passages were opened. On November 9, 1989, travel restrictions were lifted. In 1948, the Soviets started a blockade of the U.S., British, and French sectors. In May 1949, the blockade was lifted. The demolition of the wall started on November 9, 1989. The demolition process ended on June 13, 1990. About 2.5 million people fled from the East from 1949 to 1960. The final version of the wall was finished in 1975. In 1948, the Allies and the Soviet Union argued over how to govern Berlin. In 1949, Western and Eastern Germany formed separate governments. On August 15, 1961, a member of the East German People's Army, escaped to freedom. In the 1980's, East Germany went bankrupt. In 1945, World War 2 ends when Germany surrenders. In 1949, the U.S., Canada, and Western Europe formed the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. From 1950-1960, the Cold War continued between the U.S. and the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union creates the German Democratic Republic in 1949. In 1985, Mikhail Gorbachev takes control of the Soviet Union. Berlin was united for the first time since 1945. East Germans yelled,"Tor auf!" ( "Open the gate!" ) on November 9, 1989. After August 23, 1961, West Berliners couldn't cross into the East anymore. 13,000 people escaped on August 23, 1989. The wall dismantled in 1989. Part of the wall turned into an official memorial in 1999.
Why was the Berlin Wall Built?
- Because people were fleeing from East Germany.
- Because East Germany was losing their population.
- Because East Germany was losing their labor force.
- So East Germany could keep their citizens.
- Because people were crossing the border.
- Life was better in the West than the East.
- East Germany lost about 2.6 million people.
- Because people fled to the West.
- East Germany lost to many workers.
Who visited the Berlin Wall?
- President John F. Kennedy
- President Ronald Reagan
- President Mikhail Gorbatchev