The Berlin Wall
In this assignment, I will write about one of the famous
landmarks. It is The Berlin Wall. There are many landmarks around the world, for
example, the Great Wall of China, The Tower of Pisa and The Taj Mahal. The
Soviet government of East Germany, the German Democratic Republic, built the
Berlin Wall to block their section of East Berlin from West Berlin because they
saw many people emigrating from Soviet east to west. Maybe it was planning to
waken Germany because it was strong country. Also, because of dissatisfaction
with the economic and political conditions many people had to suffer under
repressions of the communist system or wanted to live a better life in the West.
The result for this wall made racism between the people in Berlin and many
people migrated to outside Berlin.Early in the morning of Sunday, August 13,
1961, the GDR began under the leadership of Erich Honecker, to block off East
Berlin and the GDR from West Berlin by use of barbed wire and antitank
obstacles. However, barricades of paving stones were erected. The wall was
between East and West Berlin. First barbed wire was used on August 15, 1961. The
Wall was built up and, until the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, the Wall
system was extended permanently. Actually there is no exact cost but the wall
was 155km long and this mean it cost too much. On the 9th of November, 1989,
the Border separating Western from Eastern Germany was effectively opened.
The wall consisted of concrete
elements and square blocks. Concrete segment wall height was 3.6m.The materials
came from Germany because it was strong economically. They had a problem when
they wanted to crack because the wall was long and high.East German troops and
workers had begun to tear up streets and to install barbed wire entanglement
and fences through Berlin. Also there were many guard towers along all the
wall. In addition minefields and other obstacles were installed along the
length of East Germany's western border with West Germany proper. The subway
and local railway services between East and West Berlin were interrupted. Tanks
gathered at crucial places. The border cut through 192 streets.Erich Honeker, a
senior East German politician who later became the country’s leader was the designer
of the wall. The idea was endorsed by Khrushchev, leader of the USSR at the
time (1961). The labor forces were German. The loss was disproportionately heavy.
The most important problem was German society who held demonstrations to
protest the construction of the wall. The wall divided many families, while it
forced East Berlin residents working in the West out of their jobs. It was
difficult for the community to live with this situation.
The Berlin
Wall is a very important part of Berlin history. Actually, the Berlin Wall was
important since it symbolized the lot of East Germany. In addition the wall was
important because it would keep away all trade between East and West Germany.
It showed that people didn't want to live in East Germany and the government
put the Berlin Wall to prevent people from crossing into West Germany. The wall
was to prevent the outflow of skilled manpower to West Germany. I think the
wall affected on the economics of Germany because it was a block and prevented
the people from moving and the result was they lost too many skilled workers in
these years. For 28 years the Berlin Wall separated friends and families. The
collapse of the Wall was an even greater surprise than its construction. People
were in shock when the borders were really open. All families and friends met
again. After the war Germany was divided into British, French, American and
Russian zones. The British, French and American united into one zone therefore
Germany because two countries East and West Germany. Similarly Berlin became a divided city, after
1961 divided by the wall
Reference:
·
Berlin Wall - The Cold War heats up, Refugees." Internet FAQ Archives - Online Education - faqs.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Apr. 2013. http://www.faqs.org/espionage/Ba-Bl/Berlin-Wall.html#ixzz2RvJ82JxW
Berlin Wall - The Cold War heats up, Refugees." Internet FAQ Archives - Online Education - faqs.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Apr. 2013. http://www.faqs.org/espionage/Ba-Bl/Berlin-Wall.html#ixzz2RvJ82JxW
·
studymode.
"Significance of the Berlin Wall - Term Paper - Studymode." Free Term
Papers, Research Papers, Essays, Book Notes | StudyMode.com. N.p., n.d.
Web. 30 Apr. 2013. http://www.studymode.com/essays/Significance-Berlin-Wall-34365.html
·
Who Built the Berlin Wall.
(n.d.). Want to know it | Answers to life's questions | Everything Blog.
Retrieved April 16, 2013, from http://wanttoknowit.com/who-built-the-berlin-wall/
- The Fall of the Berlin Wall 1989. (n.d.). remote.org entry page. Retrieved April 16, 2013, from http://www.remote.org/frederik/culture/berlin
·
SSR, elorussian.
"Berlin Wall - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia." Wikipedia, the
free encyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Apr. 2013. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berlin_Wall
·
"History of the Berlin
Wall ." Dailysoft: IT-Consulting, Photography, Berlin and Berlin Wall
information. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Apr. 2013.
<http://www.dailysoft.com/berlinwall/history/
·
"The Berlin Wall -
Berlin.de." Berlin - Offizielles Stadtportal der Hauptstadt
Deutschlands - Berlin.de. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Apr. 2013.
<http://www.berlin.de/mauer/index.en.html
