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From the end of World War II to the fall of the Berlin Wall - End of the war in Germany - a new orderWith the end of World War II on 05/08/1945 Germany was occupied by the four victory powers. On this occasion the former capital of the Third Reich – Berlin – was divided in four sectors that where laid upon the districts of the city. The French (although officially not yet a victory power) obtained the northern part, the British got the middle of West-Berlin while the Americans governed the southern part. The Sovjets ruled the east, later known as „Ostzone”. An allied control council consisting of one representant of each zone was formed to govern over the population of Berlin. The Cold War First gaps between the 4 allies were becoming visible with the first and also last free elections of the city council in post-war Berlin on 10/20/1946. The SED’s results of merely 20% of the votes didn’t match with the high expectations as the favourite of the „Ostzone“. Following the unification of the western sectors in an economic federation called „Trizone”, the USSR left the control council. This marks the beginning of the Cold War in Berlin. 1949 saw the foundation of two german states which also divided the city of Berlin in two parts. Prior to that year Berlin experienced two separate currency reforms in 1948, the blockade of West-Berlin by the USSR and the following airlift. It was from now on that East- and West-Berlin continued on divided paths of evolution concerning economic and socio-political questions. The rise of the Berlin Wall While the speed of economic relaunch in the West-Berlin can be described as slow the corresponding development in the eastern part of the city was even slower. Frustration over those circumstances along with way too high working quotas lead to the people’s uprise (Volksaufstand) in Berlin on June 17th in 1953 which was brutally rejected in the end. In consequence of that East-German citizens flew in masses towards the free West. The GDR faced a remarkable loss of specialists and simple citizens and had to stop this process. Inbetween 1949 and 1961 about 3.6 million citizens left their country, 1.25 million of those passed the Berlin border. The situation escalated when Berlin faced the menace from Moscow “to solve the Problem” and in response received a backing-up by former US president John F. Kennedy: members of the armed forces of the GDR alongside their “brothers in arms” from the Soviet-Union destroyed all the connecting roads between East- and West-Berlin and built barricades of barbed wire and ditches along the sectorial boundaries separating east and west. Only a few days later the construction of the Berlin Wall started corresponding to the installation of the Antifaschistischer Schutzwall (antifascist protective barrier) separating the two german states. The Berlin Wall can but be described as the symbol of the Cold War and the German separation while the city grounds were considered as the utmost battleground in the confrontations between East and West. A whole population was incarcerated. Facts around the Berlin Wall The total length of the Wall was 146 km – 46 km thereof separating the two parts of Berlin. The border installations included diverse kinds of fences, control towers, control paths and vehicle barricades. All ground nearby was declared property of the people by law. Journeys to the non-socialistic countries were hindered or explicitly regulated. The Governing Mayor of Berlin (West), W. Brandt referred to the Wall as a concentration camp wall. Although facing death due to the security installations and the “Schiessbefehl” which ordered the armed forces to shoot and kill and while being permanently under surveillance still many citizens decided to seek often adventurous possibilities of escape. Tunnels were drilled and flying-apparels constructed. Socalled escape-helpers (Fluchthelfer) in east and west tried to get as many people across the border and into freedom as possible. From 08/13/1961 to 11/09/1989 more than 39.000 citizens of the GDR overcame the Wall and entered West-Berlin. The number of deadly victims fluctuates between 169 and 238 persons. First victim was Rudolf Urban on 08/19/1961 who jumped out of a window at the border. The last victim was Winfried Freudenberg on 05/08/1989 whose selfmade Balloon crashed. The coming down of the Berlin wall – End of the Cold War In 1989, following events as the short-term opening of the frontier between Hungary and Austria, high numbers of asylum seeking citizens in the west-german embassy in Prague and ongoing demonstrations in East Germany, the government of the GDR is forced to acknowledge the demands of the people. Even facing the dangers of armed rejection several hundred thousand citizens entered and reclaimed the streets. During a press conference of the SED-Politbüro finally and by chance it came to the reopening of the borders for private journeys and immediately thousands tried to get across the border and were admitted. Divided families were unified again, strangers embraced each other with tears of joy. The Berlin Wall had lost its purpose and was open after 28 years. The fall of the Berlin Wall corresponded to the defeat of the SED government over East-Berlin and East-Germany and was the beginning of the reunification of Germany. The rise and fall of the Berlin Wall were the most significant events in Germany since the end of World War II. Autor: R. Balsam |
Touristical offers around the topic "Berlin Wall "
Heimatmuseum Treptow Mauermuseum – Haus am Checkpoint Charlie Dokumentationszentrum Berliner Mauer Brandenburger Tor East Side Gallery Forschungs- und Gedenkstätte Normannenstraße Erinnerungsstätte Notaufnahmelager Marienfelde Informations- und Dokumentationszentrum der Berliner Unterwelten e.V. Parlament der Bäume |
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