Rise Of The Berlin Wall Essay

For 28 years starting from 1961, Germany was divided into two halves by a steady system, the Berlin Wall. The wall is not only the physical division between West Berlin and East Berlin from 1961 to 1989, but also the symbolic boundary between Democracy and Communism during the Cold War. Within a short period of time after World War II, West Germany’s life condition and economy grew rapidly with the help of Capitalism. The positive turnover of West Berlin society created a huge contrast between the two halves of Germany. In East Berlin, people lived with a constant fear of war, the economy of the state began shrinking, and individual freedom were greatly restricted by its government. As a result, “by the early 1960s, East Germany was rapidly losing both its labor force and its population,” with more than 2.5 million people have been escaped to West Berlin. East Germany government was in desperation of stopping this massive emigration. Finally, the Berlin Wall was constructed abruptly on a night of August 1961, with shocks and surprises of many people from both sides of the country.
Throughout the course of its existence, the Berlin Wall was constantly reinforced in order to stop people from escaping to West Berlin.
“The …show more content…
Despite the fact that the wall is no longer exist today, and Germany has been reunited as one nation; the pain and miseries that it brought to the Germany citizens during its existence is undeniable. Approximately 130 people were killed trying to cross the wall; hundreds of families were separated for decades, along with many people risking their life to seek freedom and happiness. The dramatic life of the Berlin Wall is clearly showed in the documentary “The rise and fall of the Berlin Wall”, which makes the world again examine the war crime that has affect many people’s lives