Nov. 9 marks the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, a world-famous symbol of communism versus democracy, capitalism versus socialism, East versus West.
The wall, which separated democratic West Berlin from communist East Berlin, stretched some 28 miles, stood 11 to 13 feet tall and was guarded by over 300 sentry towers that allowed East German border guards to shoot anyone trying to escape.
Why a wall?
In an effort to curtail Germany’s power at the end of World War II, Allied forces separated the country into zones. Berlin too was sectioned off, with Britain, France and the United States controlling the western section and the Soviet Union occupying the eastern half.
Democracy and capitalism reigned in the West while communism took over in the East. Sensing more opportunity across the border, over 2 million East Germans, or about 15 percent of the country’s workforce, fled for the West between 1949 and 1961. By July 1961, in what has been dubbed the great “brain drain,” 1,000 residents — most of them young, skilled educated workers — were fleeing East Germany daily. On Aug. 12, 1961, 2,400 left East Berlin, the most in any single day.
Anti-fascist bulwark
On Aug. 13, 1961, the East German government ordered the construction of a barbed wire fence to prevent “fascist” influences from gaining entry into East Berlin. Its real effect, however, was to curb the mass emigration from East to West.
Overnight, families were separated and travel was restricted. Over the years the fence became a cinderblock wall, reinforced with pipe, to prevent defectors from scaling it. Mines, trenches, attack dogs and, of course, shooters helped keep East Berliners within their city limits.
While the U.S. did send troops, no outright fighting broke out. President John F. Kennedy was quoted as saying, “A wall is a hell of a lot better than a war.”
The fall of a wall
The wall stood in place for 28 years. But by 1989, the Cold War was easing; Hungary opened travel through the Iron Curtain into Austria, and the freedoms associated with glasnost were in full swing. On Nov. 9, 1989, the East German government opened Berlin’s borders and lifted travel restrictions. Throngs of celebrating crowds tore down the wall.
After the wall
What was once East Berlin is still a work in progress. While disparities in income and standard of living have eased between former East and West, more work needs to be done to fully integrate easterners into the Germany economy.
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