Research Project

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:

·        
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