Berlin Wall

Berlin Wall (Berliner Mauer) was the fortified border that divided Berlin from 13 August 1961 to 9 November 1989. Built by the German Democratic Republic (GDR), it was meant to stop East Germans from fleeing to West Berlin, and it became the best-known symbol of the Cold War and the division of Europe. The opening of the border on the night of 9 November 1989 paved the way for German reunification on 3 October 1990.

The wall ran for 155 kilometers around West Berlin; about 43 kilometers of it cut through the city between East and West Berlin, and the rest separated West Berlin from the surrounding GDR. Its last generation of concrete segments was 3.6 meters high. Behind it lay a whole border strip with a second inner wall, signal fences that set off an alarm, vehicle trenches, anti-tank obstacles, a patrol road and watchtowers about 250 meters apart. More than 5,000 people still managed to escape, and at least 140 people were killed at the wall or died because of the border regime.

Systematic demolition began in June 1990, and today only a few sections survive. The Berlin Wall Memorial on Bernauer Strasse preserves 1.4 kilometers of the former border strip with an original section of the wall, a watchtower and an observation platform; admission is free. The East Side Gallery along the Spree is the longest surviving section, about 1.3 kilometers long, painted by artists from around the world in 1990. At Potsdamer Platz several wall segments stand with information panels, and souvenir GDR stamps are offered nearby – ask for the stamp on a separate card, as unofficial stamps can cause problems with a passport.

Key points:

• Where to see it: Berlin Wall Memorial (Bernauer Strasse), East Side Gallery, Potsdamer Platz, Checkpoint Charlie.
• Berlin Wall Memorial: free; open-air grounds daily 8:00–22:00, Documentation Center Tuesday to Sunday 10:00–18:00.
• Built: from 13 August 1961 by the GDR.
• Fall: 9 November 1989; demolition from June 1990.
• Length: 155 km in total, about 43 km through the city.
• Height: 3.6 m (last-generation concrete segments).
• Victims: at least 140 people killed; more than 5,000 successful escapes.