When the Berlin Wall was erected. The Berlin Wall: history of construction and fall

Older people who remember well the events of the so-called “perestroika”, the collapse of the Soviet Union and rapprochement with the West, probably know the famous Berlin Wall. Its destruction became a real symbol of those events, their visible embodiment. The Berlin Wall and the history of its creation and destruction can tell a lot about the turbulent European changes of the mid- and late 20th century.

Historical context

It is impossible to understand the history of the Berlin Wall without updating the memory of the historical background that led to its emergence. As you know, World War II in Europe ended with the Act of Surrender of Nazi Germany. The consequences of the war for this country were disastrous: Germany was divided into zones of influence. The eastern part was controlled by the Soviet military-civil administration, the western part came under the control of the administration of the allies: the USA, Great Britain and France.

After some time, two independent states arose on the basis of these zones of influence: the Federal Republic of Germany - in the west, with its capital in Bonn, and the GDR - in the east, with its capital in Berlin. West Germany entered the US “camp”, eastern Germany found itself part of the socialist camp controlled by the Soviet Union. And since the cold war was already flaring up between yesterday's allies, the two Germanys found themselves, in essence, in hostile organizations, separated by ideological contradictions.

But even earlier, in the first post-war months, an agreement was signed between the USSR and the Western allies, according to which Berlin, the pre-war capital of Germany, was also divided into zones of influence: western and eastern. Accordingly, the western part of the city should actually belong to the Federal Republic of Germany, and the eastern part to the GDR. And everything would have been fine if not for one important feature: the city of Berlin was located deep inside the territory of the GDR!

That is, it turned out that West Berlin turned out to be an enclave, a piece of the Federal Republic of Germany, surrounded on all sides by the territory of “pro-Soviet” East Germany. While relations between the USSR and the West were relatively good, the city continued to live an ordinary life. People moved freely from one part to another, worked, and visited. Everything changed when the Cold War gained momentum.

Construction of the Berlin Wall

By the beginning of the 60s of the 20th century, it became obvious: the relations between the two Germanys were hopelessly damaged. The world was facing the threat of a new global war, tension between the West and the USSR was growing. In addition, the huge difference in the pace of economic development of the two blocs became obvious. Simply put, it was clear to the average person: living in West Berlin is much more comfortable and convenient than in East Berlin. People flocked to West Berlin, and additional NATO troops were deployed there. The city could become a “hot spot” in Europe.

To stop such developments, the GDR authorities decided to block off the city with a wall, which would make all contacts between residents of the once united settlement impossible. After careful preparation, consultation with allies and mandatory approval from the USSR, on the last night of August 1961, the entire city was divided in two!

In literature you can often find words that the wall was built in one night. Actually this is not true. Of course, such a grandiose structure cannot be erected in such a short time. On that memorable night for Berliners, only the main transport arteries connecting East and West Berlin were blocked. Somewhere across the street they raised high concrete slabs, somewhere they simply erected barbed wire barriers, and in some places they installed barriers with border guards.

The metro, whose trains used to travel between the two parts of the city, was stopped. Amazed Berliners discovered in the morning that they would no longer be able to go to work, study or simply visit friends as they had done before. Any attempts to penetrate West Berlin were considered a violation of the state border and were severely punished. That night, indeed, the city was divided into two parts.

And the wall itself, as an engineering structure, was built over many years in several stages. Here we need to remember that the authorities had to not only separate West Berlin from East Berlin, but also fence it off on all sides, because it turned out to be a “foreign body” inside the territory of the GDR. As a result, the wall acquired the following parameters:

• 106 km of concrete fencing, 3.5 meters high;
• almost 70 km of metal mesh with barbed wire;
• 105.5 km of deep earthen ditches;
• 128 km of signal fence, under electric voltage.

And also - many watchtowers, anti-tank pillboxes, firing points. Let us not forget that the wall was considered not only as an obstacle to ordinary citizens, but also as a military fortification structure in case of an attack by a NATO military group.

When was the Berlin Wall destroyed?

As long as it existed, the wall remained a symbol of the separation of two world systems. Attempts to overcome it did not stop. Historians have proven at least 125 cases of people dying while trying to cross the wall. About 5 thousand more attempts were crowned with success, and among the lucky ones, the GDR soldiers prevailed, called upon to protect the wall from crossing by their own fellow citizens.

By the end of the 1980s, so many enormous changes had already taken place in Eastern Europe that the Berlin Wall looked like a complete anachronism. Moreover, by that time Hungary had already opened its borders with the Western world, and tens of thousands of Germans were freely leaving through it for the Federal Republic of Germany. Western leaders pointed out to Gorbachev the need to dismantle the wall. The whole course of events clearly showed that the days of the ugly structure were numbered.

And this happened on the night of October 9-10, 1989! Another mass demonstration of residents of two parts of Berlin ended with the soldiers opening the barriers at the checkpoints and crowds of people rushing towards each other, although the official opening of the checkpoints was supposed to take place the next morning. People did not want to wait, and besides, everything that happened was filled with special symbolism. Many television companies broadcast live this unique event.

That same night, enthusiasts began to destroy the wall. At first, the process was spontaneous and looked like an amateur activity. Parts of the Berlin Wall stood for some time, completely covered in graffiti. People were taking pictures near them and TV crews were filming their stories. Subsequently, the wall was dismantled using technology, but in some places its fragments remained as a memorial. The days when the Berlin Wall was destroyed are considered by many historians to be the end of the Cold War in Europe.

The fall of the Berlin Wall united not only one people together, but also families separated by borders. This event marked the unification of the nation. The slogans at the demonstrations read: “We are one people.” The year of the fall of the Berlin Wall is considered to be the year of the beginning of a new life in Germany.

Berlin Wall

The fall of the Berlin Wall, whose construction began in 1961, symbolized the end of the Cold War. During construction, wire fencing was first laid out, which later grew into a 5-meter concrete fortification, complemented by watchtowers and barbed wire. The main purpose of the wall is to reduce refugees from the GDR to (before this, 2 million people had already managed to cross). The wall stretched for several hundred kilometers. The indignation of the Federal Republic of Germany and the German Democratic Republic was transmitted to Western countries, but no protests or rallies could influence the decision to install a fence.

28 years behind the fence

It stood for a little more than a quarter of a century - 28 years. During this time, three generations were born. Of course, many were unhappy with this state of affairs. People strived for a new life, from which they were separated by a wall. One can only imagine what they felt for her - hatred, contempt. The inhabitants were imprisoned as if in a cage, and they tried to escape to the west of the country. However, according to official data, about 700 people were shot dead. And these are only documented cases. Today, you can also visit the Berlin Wall Museum, which preserves stories about the tricks people had to resort to to overcome it. For example, one child was literally catapulted over the fence by his parents. One family was transported by balloon.

Fall of the Berlin Wall - 1989

The communist regime of the GDR fell. It was followed by the fall of the Berlin Wall, the date of this high-profile incident was 1989, November 9. These events immediately caused people to react. And joyful Berliners began to destroy the wall. Very soon, most of the pieces became souvenirs. November 9 is also called the "Feast of All Germans". The fall of the Berlin Wall became one of the most notorious events of the twentieth century and was perceived as a sign. In the same 1989, no one yet knew what course of events fate had in store for them. (leader of the GDR) at the beginning of the year argued that the wall would remain in place for at least half a century, or even the entire century. The opinion that it was indestructible dominated both among the ruling circles and among ordinary residents. However, May of the same year showed the opposite.

The fall of the Berlin Wall - how it happened

Hungary removed its “wall” with Austria, and therefore there was no point in the Berlin Wall. According to eyewitnesses, even a few hours before the fall, many still had no idea what would happen. A huge mass of people, when news of the simplification of the access regime reached them, moved towards the wall. The border guards on duty, who did not have orders for precise actions in this situation, attempted to push the people back. But the pressure of the residents was so great that they had no choice but to open the border. On this day, thousands of West Berliners came out to meet East Berliners to greet them and congratulate them on their “liberation.” November 9 was indeed a national holiday.

15th anniversary of the destruction

In 2004, marking the 15th anniversary of the destruction of the symbol of the Cold War, a large ceremony was held in the German capital to commemorate the opening of a monument to the Berlin Wall. It is a restored part of the former fence, but now its length is only a few hundred meters. The monument is located where the former location of a checkpoint called "Charlie" was located, which served as the main connection between the two parts of the city. Here you can also see 1,065 crosses erected in memory of those who were killed from 1961 to 1989 for attempting to escape from Eastern Germany. However, there is no exact information about the number of those killed, since different resources report completely different data.

25th anniversary

On November 9, 2014, German residents celebrated the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. The festive event was attended by the President of Germany and Chancellor Angela Merkel. Foreign guests also visited it, including Mikhail Gorbachev (former President of the USSR). On the same day, a concert and a ceremonial meeting took place in the Konzerthaus, which was also attended by the President and Federal Chancellor. Mikhail Gorbachev expressed his opinion about the events that took place, saying that Berlin is saying goodbye to the wall, because there is a new life and history ahead. On the occasion of the holiday, an installation of 6880 glowing balls was installed. In the evening, filled with gel, they flew away into the darkness of the night, being a symbol of the destruction of the barrier and separation.

Europe's reaction

The fall of the Berlin Wall became an event that the whole world talked about. A large number of historians argue that the country would have come to unity if in the late 80s, as it happened, which means a little later. But this process was inevitable. Before this, lengthy negotiations took place. By the way, Mikhail Gorbachev also played a role, speaking for the unity of Germany (for which he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize). Although some assessed these events from a different point of view - as a loss of geopolitical influence. Despite this, Moscow has demonstrated that it can be trusted to negotiate complex and fairly fundamental issues. It is worth noting that some European leaders were against the reunification of Germany, for example, Margaret Thatcher (Prime Minister of Britain) and (President of France). Germany in their eyes was a political and economic competitor, as well as an aggressor and military adversary. They were concerned about the reunification of the German people, and Margaret Thatcher even tried to convince Mikhail Gorbachev to back down from his position, but he was adamant. Some European leaders saw Germany as a future enemy and openly feared it.

End of the Cold War?

After November the wall was still standing (it was not completely destroyed). And in the mid-nineties, a decision was made to demolish it. Only a small “segment” was left intact in memory of the past. The world community perceived the day of the fall of the Berlin Wall as a unification not only of Germany. And throughout Europe.

Putin, while still an employee of the KGB representative office in the GDR, supported the fall of the Berlin Wall, as well as the unification of Germany. He also starred in a documentary film dedicated to this event, which premiered on the 20th anniversary of the reunification of the German people. By the way, it was he who persuaded the demonstrators not to destroy the building of the KGB representative office. V.V. Putin was not invited to the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the collapse of the wall (D.A. Medvedev was present at the 20th anniversary) - after the “Ukrainian events”, many world leaders, like Angela Merkel, who acted as the hostess of the meeting, considered his presence inappropriate.

The fall of the Berlin Wall was a good sign for the whole world. However, unfortunately, history shows that fraternal peoples can be fenced off from each other without tangible walls. Cold wars exist between states even in the 21st century.

When I started learning German at school, the Berlin Wall had been gone for 4 years (and by the end of my studies - 10 years). But we studied from old Soviet textbooks, and in the texts about Berlin, we, of course, talked about its Eastern part. Therefore, the main attractions of Berlin are imprinted on my brain: Alexanderplatz, Treptower Park, the University. Humboldt and the main street Unter den Linden
Naturally, later I learned about the Berlin Wall, and about Wiedervereinigung (reunification), and even about Ostalgie (Osten+Nostalgie - nostalgia for the GDR).

But only after visiting Berlin, seeing both its zoos, both universities and both opera houses (eastern and western), the western central street Kurfürstendamm, Potsdamerplatz square, which was closed during the existence of the wall, the remains of the wall itself - I realized that once Berlin was divided into two parts, and the importance is that it is now one city again.

— What is the Berlin Wall?

They call it the Berlin Wall GDR border with West Berlin, this is an engineered and fortified structure. By the way, the official name of the Berlin Wall was Antifaschistischer Schutzwall.

- Why and why was it erected?
From 1949 to 1961, more than 2.6 million residents of the GDR fled to the Federal Republic of Germany. Some fled from communist repression, others simply sought a better life in the West. The border between West and East Germany had been closed since 1952, but escapes through the open border sectors in Berlin were possible with almost no risk to the fugitives. The GDR authorities saw no other way to stop the mass exodus to the West
- On August 13, 1961, they began construction of the Berlin Wall.

On the night of August 12-13, 1961, the border between West and East Berlin was cordoned off within a few hours. It was a day off, and many Berliners were sleeping when the GDR authorities began to close the border. By early Sunday morning, the city was already divided by border barriers and rows of barbed wire. Some families were cut off almost overnight from their loved ones and friends living in the same city. And on August 15, the first section of the wall was already built. Construction continued for quite a long time in different stages. We can say that the wall was expanded and completed until its fall in 1989.

— What was the size of the Berlin Wall?
155 km (around West Berlin), including 43.1 km within Berlin

— Why was the border open?
One can argue for a long time that a peaceful revolution in the GDR was long overdue, and that perestroika in the USSR was a prerequisite for this. But the facts themselves are more striking. In fact, the fall of the Berlin Wall on November 9, 1989 was the result of coordination errors and non-compliance with orders. This evening, journalists asked GDR government spokesman Günter Schabowski about the new rules for foreign travel, to which he wrong replied that “as far as he knows,” they come into force “immediately, right now.”

Naturally, at the border control points, where thousands of East Berlin residents began to flock that same evening, there were no orders to open the border. Fortunately, the border guards did not use force against their compatriots, succumbed to the pressure and opened the border. By the way, in Germany they are still grateful to Mikhail Gorbachev for the fact that he also did not use military force and withdrew troops from Germany.
— The Berlin Wall fell on November 9, then why is German Unity Day celebrated on October 3? Initially, the holiday was planned to be scheduled for November 9, but this day was associated with dark periods in the history of Germany (the Beer Hall Putsch in 1923 and the November pogroms of 1938), so they chose a different date - October 3, 1990, when the actual unification of the two German states took place.

Aigul Berkheeva, Deutsch-online

On November 9, Germany will celebrate the reunification of the GDR and the Federal Republic of Germany. It was on this day in 1989 that the Berlin Wall fell. The English-language website RT has prepared a number of facts about the creation and history of the wall.

1 . Between 1945 and 1961, more than three million East Germans fled to West Germany, accounting for a third of the GDR's population. These were predominantly young, educated people, which displeased Moscow, and the future Soviet leader Yuri Andropov told the leadership of the GDR that it was not capable of speaking the language of the intelligentsia.

2 . 50,000 Berliners commuted to work in the western part of the city every day, earning higher wages and living in subsidized housing. The Western Deutschmark was six times more expensive than the Eastern one. The exchange rate difference was also so large because of the socialist model of the Eastern economy, which subsidized key goods, and also because of the high demand for Western currency. Thanks to this, residents of West Berlin could exchange money on the black market and buy goods at low prices in East Germany; naturally, they were ready to give up Adidas sneakers or Volkswagen cars.

3 . The division was not only economic, but also ideological. To imagine West Berlin in the center of a communist camp was comparable to placing half of Seoul in the center of Pyongyang or part of London in Tehran. The difference was so great that it clearly showed the shortcomings of each mode.

4 . The mayor of Berlin and future Chancellor of Germany, Social Democrat Willy Brandt, dubbed the structure the “Wall of Shame,” which was quickly picked up by Western media.

5 . On August 13, 1961, residents of both parts of Berlin woke up to find the dividing line cordoned off and preparations for the construction of a permanent structure in full swing. People in the east looked at all this in confusion and realized that they would no longer be able to escape.

6 . Some statistics: by the end of its existence in 1989, the length of the wall was 155 km, of which 127.5 km were with electric or sound alarms. The structure had 302 observation towers, 259 dog parks, 20 bunkers, which were guarded by more than 11 thousand soldiers.

7 . The wall was not built as a pre-designed single structure. It consisted of a series of four different walls, starting with two barbed wire fences and then two concrete walls.

8 . The so-called “death strip”, which was laid across East Berlin, ranged from 30 to 150 meters in width. It was equipped with searchlights and guarded by soldiers with dogs. Signal wires, barbed wire, and spikes were used as obstacles. Next came a trench and anti-tank hedgehogs, which were installed in case of an armed conflict. There were also strips of sand along which no one could pass unnoticed.

9 . Ironically, in the path of the wall stood a 19th century temple called the Church of Reconciliation. Since the authorities decided that it blocked the view from the watchtowers, the temple was blown up in 1985. After the fall of the wall, the church was restored in its original place as a symbol of a united Berlin.

10 . The first person to be shot while trying to cross the wall from east to west was Günter Litfin, an apprentice tailor and member of the Christian Democratic Union, which was banned in the GDR. Litfin worked in West Berlin, rented an apartment there and planned to move permanently. Gunther had to postpone the move after his father's death in order to support the family. But after construction began, the walls of his hopes collapsed. Litfin tried to cross the railroad tracks, but was spotted by the police and shot in the head. The GDR authorities first tried to hush up the death, and after rumors spread throughout the city, they said that Litfin was a homosexual who fled because of his crimes.

Günther Litfin became an iconic figure for the West - one of the 136 victims of the "East German manhunters" who died trying to cross the wall.

11 . The wall guards themselves tried to take advantage of their official position and move to the West when no one was looking. In the first two years of the structure's existence, when locks had not yet been installed, which required several people to open, more than 1,300 soldiers from the GDR illegally crossed the border.

Subsequently, security was entrusted only to the most loyal soldiers and complex security systems were installed.

12 . It is estimated that during the existence of the wall, approximately 10,000 people tried to escape, and approximately five thousand succeeded.

13 . We can say that the fall of the wall in 1989 was already purely symbolic, since it ceased to fulfill its function. The first breach in the Iron Curtain was made earlier in the year by the Hungarian authorities when they opened the border with Austria.

14 . According to reports, Mikhail Gorbachev was sleeping peacefully in Moscow at the time of the wall's destruction. The Soviet leader witnessed the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968 and had no intention of invading Eastern Europe. Earlier, he told the leader of the GDR, Erich Honecker, that he was not keeping up with the times.

During his visit to Germany in 1989, Gorbachev said that every nation has the right to choose its own political and social system, and Moscow will respect the right of citizens to self-determination. In addition, in the summer, the leaders of the USSR and the USA held negotiations, during which Moscow was promised economic support in exchange for non-interference in events in Eastern Europe.

15 . The Berlin Wall ceased to exist in some sense due to an accident. The official representative of the East German regime, Günther Schabowski, announced the liberalization of the travel regime at a press conference on November 9, 1989 at 18:53. When asked about the timing, he replied: “Immediately!”

Later that day, the East German government tried to roll back the situation by declaring that residents should report to the immigration office in an organized manner the next morning. But it was already too late.

West German media broadcast Schabowski's press conference live and interpreted his words literally, as did thousands of people on both sides of the wall.

16 . Both residents of East and West Berlin came to dismantle the checkpoint. The border guards were so unprepared for the situation that the authorities decided to simply open the gates.

17 . After the fall of the wall in the East, everyone expected rapid economic growth, abundance, large numbers of marriages and a baby boom. But the forecasts turned out to be far from reality. Nine months after divided citizens were able to move freely, the birth rate in East Germany had fallen by 40% and did not reach its previous levels until 1994. The euphoria of the first days turned into failure.

18 . Today, only a few original sections of the wall remain on the streets of Berlin. One of them was turned into the largest piece of street art in the world.

19 . To mark the 25th anniversary of the fall of the wall, two German artists, the Bauder brothers, decided to recreate it with the help of 8 thousand illuminated balloons, simultaneously released into the air along the most significant segments of the wall. The action is scheduled for November 9.

20 . In a poll last month, three-quarters of eastern Germans said their lives had improved since the wall fell, while only 15% said they had not. By comparison, only half of West Germans believe they benefited from the historic reunification.

The content of the article

BERLIN WALL- a barrier erected by the authorities of the German Democratic Republic (GDR) around West Berlin in August 1961. It completely surrounded the territory of the three western (American, British and French) sectors of the old German capital and interrupted free communication between the two parts of the city, divided since 1948.

Berlin crisis.

Before the construction of the wall, the border between the western and eastern parts of Berlin was open. The 44.75 km dividing line (the total length of West Berlin's border with the GDR was 164 km) ran right through streets and houses, canals and waterways. Officially, there were 81 street checkpoints, 13 crossings in the metro and on the city railway. In addition, there were hundreds of illegal routes. Every day, from 300 to 500 thousand people crossed the border between both parts of the city for various reasons.

The construction of the Berlin Wall was preceded by a serious aggravation of the political situation around Berlin. Both military-political blocs - NATO and the Warsaw Pact Organization (WTO) confirmed the irreconcilability of their positions on the “German Question”. The West German government led by Konrad Adenauer introduced the “Halstein Doctrine” in 1957, which provided for the automatic severance of diplomatic relations with any country that recognized the GDR. It categorically rejected proposals from the East German side to create a confederation of German states, insisting instead on holding all-German elections. In turn, the GDR authorities declared in 1958 their claims to sovereignty over West Berlin on the grounds that it was located “on the territory of the GDR.” In November 1958, the head of the Soviet government, Nikita Khrushchev, accused the Western powers of violating the Potsdam Agreements of 1945. He announced the abolition of Berlin's international status by the Soviet Union and described the entire city (including its western sectors) as the “capital of the GDR.” The Soviet government proposed turning West Berlin into a “demilitarized free city” and, in an ultimatum tone, demanded that the United States, Great Britain and France negotiate on this topic within six months (“Khrushchev’s Ultimatum”). This demand was rejected by the Western powers. Negotiations between their foreign ministers and the head of the USSR Foreign Ministry in Geneva in the spring and summer of 1959 ended without result. After N. Khrushchev's visit to the USA in September 1959, the Soviet ultimatum was postponed. But the parties continued to insist on their previous positions. In August 1960, the GDR government introduced restrictions on visits by German citizens to East Berlin, citing the need to stop them from conducting “revanchist propaganda.” In response, West Germany refused a trade agreement between both parts of the country, which the GDR regarded as an “economic war.” After lengthy and difficult negotiations, the agreement was finally put into effect on January 1, 1961. But the crisis was not resolved. ATS leaders continued to demand the neutralization and demilitarization of West Berlin. In turn, the foreign ministers of NATO countries confirmed in May 1961 their intention to guarantee the presence of the armed forces of Western powers in the western part of the city and its “viability”. Western leaders declared that they would defend “the freedom of West Berlin” with all their might.

Both blocs and both German states increased their armed forces and intensified propaganda against the enemy. The GDR authorities complained about Western threats and maneuvers, “provocative” violations of the country’s border (137 for May–July 1961), and the activities of anti-communist groups. They accused “German agents” of organizing dozens of acts of sabotage and arson. Great dissatisfaction with the leadership and police of East Germany was caused by the inability to control the flow of people moving across the border.

The situation worsened in the summer of 1961. The hard course of the East German leader Walter Ulbricht, economic policies aimed at “catching up and overtaking the Federal Republic of Germany” and the corresponding increase in production standards, economic difficulties, forced collectivization of 1957–1960, foreign policy tensions and higher wages in West Berlin encouraged thousands of GDR citizens to leave for the West. In total, more than 207 thousand people left the country in 1961. In July 1961 alone, more than 30 thousand East Germans fled the country. These were most often young and qualified specialists. Outraged East German authorities accused West Berlin and Germany of “human trafficking,” “poaching” personnel and trying to thwart their economic plans. They claimed that the economy of East Berlin annually loses 2.5 billion marks because of this.

In the context of the aggravation of the situation around Berlin, the leaders of the ATS countries decided to close the border. Rumors of such plans were in the air as early as June 1961, but the leader of the GDR, Walter Ulbricht, then denied such intentions. In fact, at that time they had not yet received final consent from the USSR and other members of the Eastern Bloc. From August 3 to 5, 1961, a meeting of the first secretaries of the ruling communist parties of the ATS states was held in Moscow, at which Ulbricht insisted on closing the border in Berlin. This time he received support from the Allies. On August 7, at a meeting of the Politburo of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED - East German Communist Party), a decision was made to close the border of the GDR with West Berlin and the Federal Republic of Germany. On August 12, the Council of Ministers of the GDR adopted a corresponding resolution. The East Berlin police were put on full alert. At 1 a.m. on August 13, 1961, the Chinese Wall II project began. About 25 thousand members of paramilitary “battle groups” from GDR enterprises occupied the border line with West Berlin; their actions covered parts of the East German army. The Soviet army was in a state of readiness.

Construction of the wall.

“The night came from 12 to 13 August 1961,” East German historians Hartmut and Ellen Mehls later described the events. – The thermometer showed 13 degrees Celsius. The sky was cloudy and a light breeze was blowing. Like every Saturday, most residents of the GDR capital went to bed late, hoping to sleep longer on August 13th. Until 0 o'clock this night in Berlin proceeded as usual. But shortly after midnight, the telephone rang in many apartments in the capital, and traffic rapidly increased. Functionaries of the SED, the state apparatus and economic departments were suddenly and urgently called to duty. The huge mechanism quickly and accurately began to move. At 1 hour 11 minutes the General German News Agency broadcast the statement of the Warsaw Pact states... When the morning of August 13 arrived, the border between the German Democratic Republic and West Berlin was under control. Security was ensured on it in the afternoon.” East German authorities closed checkpoints, housed and sealed border buildings, and erected barbed wire along the border.

On August 15, 1961, the SED Politburo announced the start of the “second stage” of ensuring “border security.” Soldiers and construction workers, guarded by border guards, began building a wall of pre-prepared concrete blocks around West Berlin. At that moment, 19-year-old border guard Konrad Schumann jumped over the barbed wire fence and became the first GDR citizen to flee to the West since August 13th. On June 19, 1962, construction of the second border wall began. The height of the wall that gradually surrounded West Berlin reached 6 meters. Anyone who might try to illegally cross the wall and thus end up in the “death strip” was ordered to open fire by the GDR border guards. On August 17, 1962, Peter Fechter, an 18-year-old construction worker from East Berlin, was shot and killed while trying to climb over the Berlin Wall. Since then, 92 people have died under similar circumstances; many were injured.

The construction of the Berlin Wall did not mean a complete blockade of West Berlin, as it did in the late 1940s. In December 1963, an agreement was signed allowing residents of the western part of the city to visit their relatives in East Berlin for Christmas and New Year. In 1968, the situation worsened again: the GDR introduced a passport and visa regime for transit travel for citizens of the Federal Republic of Germany and the West Berlin population. The passage of members and officials of the West German government, as well as German military personnel, through the territory of East Germany was suspended.

The detente in relations between the two German states after the government of Willy Brandt came to power in Germany in 1969, which proclaimed the “New Ostpolitik,” made it possible to take the next step. On September 3, 1971, Great Britain, the USSR, the USA and France signed a quadripartite agreement on Berlin. In December 1971, agreements were concluded between the authorities of the GDR and West Berlin that allowed West Berliners to receive permission to enter and visit East Germany one or more times a year (for a total stay of up to 30 days a year). In addition, permission to enter could be granted in cases of urgent "family or humanitarian reasons". Unimpeded transport links between Germany and West Berlin were guaranteed. Access to the city was by air, 8 railway lines, 5 streets and 2 waterways. However, the Berlin Wall continued to divide the city, passing through its very center. It turned into a kind of symbol of the split of Europe into opposing military-political blocs. The Wall was also one of Berlin's main attractions. Any visitor to the city was eager to see this structure made of gray and gloomy concrete, and in the western part of the city, tourists were sold postcards with its image and the inscription: “The wall must be removed!”

Fall of the wall.

When in May 1989, under the influence of perestroika in the Soviet Union, the GDR's Warsaw Pact partner, Hungary, destroyed fortifications on the border with its western neighbor Austria, the GDR leadership had no intention of following its example. But it soon lost control of the rapidly unfolding events. Thousands of GDR citizens flocked to other Eastern European countries in the hope of getting from there to West Germany. Already in August 1989, the diplomatic missions of the Federal Republic of Germany in Berlin, Budapest and Prague were forced to stop receiving visitors due to the influx of East German residents seeking entry into the West German state. Hundreds of East Germans fled to the West through Hungary. When the Hungarian government announced the opening of borders on September 11, 1989, the Berlin Wall lost its meaning: within three days, 15 thousand citizens left the GDR through Hungarian territory. Mass demonstrations demanding civil rights and freedoms began in the country.

On November 9, 1989 at 19:34, speaking at a press conference broadcast on television, GDR government representative Günter Schabowski announced new rules for exiting and entering the country. He spoke in a heavy, official language, as if he were talking about some minor technical matter, such as repairing transport routes. According to the decisions taken, from the next day, citizens of the GDR could receive visas to immediately visit West Berlin and the Federal Republic of Germany. Hundreds of thousands of East Germans, without waiting for the appointed time, rushed to the border on the evening of November 9. The border guards, who had not received orders, first tried to push the crowd back, using water cannons, but then, yielding to the massive pressure, they were forced to open the border. Thousands of West Berliners came out to greet the guests from the East. What was happening was reminiscent of a national holiday. The feeling of happiness and brotherhood washed away all state barriers and obstacles. West Berliners, in turn, began to cross the border, breaking into the eastern part of the city. “...Spotlights, hustle and bustle, jubilation. A group of people had already burst into the border crossing corridor, before the first lattice barrier. Behind him are five embarrassed border guards,” recalled a witness to what was happening, Maria Meister from West Berlin. – From the watchtowers, already surrounded by a crowd, soldiers look down. Applause for every Trabant, for every group of pedestrians approaching shyly... Curiosity drives us forward, but there is also fear that something terrible might happen. Do the GDR border guards realize that this is a super-secure border now violated?... We move on... The legs move, the mind warns. Detente comes only at the crossroads... We are just in East Berlin, people help each other with coins on the phone. Faces laugh, the tongue refuses to obey: madness, madness. The light display shows the time: 0 hours 55 minutes, 6 degrees Celsius." Night from November 9 to 10, 1989. ("Volkszeitung", 1989, November 17. No. 47).

So the Berlin Wall fell under the pressure of the people. “We have been waiting for this day for almost 30 years! - said the address to the citizens of the GDR by the country's leading social movement "New Forum". - Sick of the wall, we shook the bars of the cage. Young people grew up with the dream of one day becoming free and exploring the world. This dream will now come true: this is a holiday for all of us! "

Over the next three days, more than 3 million people visited the West. On December 22, 1989, the Brandenburg Gate opened for passage, through which the border between East and West Berlin was drawn. The Berlin Wall still stood, but only as a symbol of the recent past. It was broken, painted with numerous graffiti, drawings and inscriptions; Berliners and visitors to the city tried to take away pieces of the once powerful structure as souvenirs. In October 1990, the lands of the former GDR entered the Federal Republic of Germany, and the Berlin Wall was demolished within a few months. It was decided to preserve only small parts of it as a monument for subsequent generations.