The Berlin Wall - Why? Exactly!





In August, 1961 the hundred miles of Wall went up, overnight, dividing Berlin into a physical East and West.

At 01.11h the GDR- German Democratic Republic (of the East) aired a radio broadcast, in the East, and closed off access to the Federal Republic of Germany (the West) without their knowledge.

The Eastern (or Soviet) Bloc claimed that West Germany still had fascist elements lingering from the War and constructed the wall to protect its people.  Another reason, it seems, was to stop the increasingly high emigration of East Germans to the Western world.

The Ally-occupied west found out a few hours after the transmission when reports started to come in of trains being unable to complete their journeys and lorries being forced to turn around.

As the wall, fences and border control points (7 street crossings and 1 train station crossing) went up, tanks and armed police got into position.  As the years went on a “no man’s land” was created between an inner and outer wall.  In places this open space, from five to several hundred meters wide, was either mined or gravelled to be able to clearly see footprints, and armed guards were ordered to shoot on sight.

Checkpoint Charlie:

the crossing for Allied forces and foreigners.

Many Berliners discovered the horrific division when they woke up the next morning with the reality of barbed wire fences and cut telephone lines.  Families, friends and lovers were cruelly separated with the construction of the barrier and, over the years, desperation caused over 10,000 GDR citizens to try to escape across the border.  Tragically, more than 100 people died trying to cross the cold cement curtain.

There are so many stories of East to West escape attempts, as hope drove the escapees away from their bleak lives: climbing over or tunnelling under the wall, jumping from bordering buildings or confectioning a hot air balloon, hiding under lorries and in car boots …… but one that remains stuck in my head is that of the carving out a petrol tank.  The tank was altered in a way that a slim diameter in the tank provided just enough petrol to get to the other side.  In the cavity left over was enough space to hide a child!

When the Communist government collapsed the wall, finally, started to come down in November 1989 and hope returned to Berlin as the two halves were reunited.

 

Berliners do not need reminding of the turbulent past of their now Cosmopolitan city, but the memories live on as small parts of the wall stand in place as a reminder.

At "Topographie des Terrors" the remnants of the wall mix with the history of the pain of the Nazi regime.  This fascinating site, of the former Gestapo headquarters, really is an eye-opener and yet another reminder of the horrific history of Berlin.

Also,  the line of the wall still exists, embedded in the streets, with double cobble stones and bronze plaques inscribed “Berliner Mauer 1961–1989”.  

However, what struck me the most was actually imagining the wall, via the lines, and it just didn’t make sense, it went up crossing roads, rail tracks and bridges, and that was that!

The still apparent Berlin Wall lines, 2011

  

I visited Berlin, in November, and the thermometers never seemed to rise above 0º!

This city was not only cold in the temperature sense but in the history sense too. 

You can’t help but feel the pain that this city has felt over so very many years, what with the War and the Wall, but, you also feel the happiness, triumph and hope for the future. 

Me, facing "cold" Berlin (weather and history) at  "Topographie des Terrors"