Berlin Wall

Dividing barrier between East and West Berlin from 1961 to 1989, erected by East Germany to prevent East Germans from leaving for West Germany. Escapers were shot on sight.

Berlin had been formally divided into East and West sectors following the Berlin blockade by Soviet forces June 1948–May 1949. From 13 August 1961 the East German security forces sealed off all but 12 of the 80 crossing points to West Berlin with a barbed wire barrier. It was reinforced with concrete by the Russians to prevent the escape of unwilling inhabitants of East Berlin to the rival political and economic system of West Berlin. The interconnecting link between East and West Berlin was Checkpoint Charlie, where both sides exchanged captured spies. On 9 November 1989 the East German government opened its borders to try to halt the mass exodus of its citizens to the West via other Eastern bloc countries, and the wall was gradually dismantled, with portions of it sold off as souvenirs. See Germany, reform in East Germany.