Five interesting facts about the Berlin Wall: what you need to know

On November 9, 1989, East Germans began to chip away at it with hammers, picks, and even their bare hands, until only ruins remained of the structure that had divided the city for 28 years. SSPDaily has prepared 5 interesting facts about the Berlin Wall.

Origin and purpose

The Berlin Wall was the result of an agreement reached at the end of World War II at the Yalta and Potsdam conferences. The US allies, Great Britain, France, and the USSR, divided Germany into four occupied regions. Since Berlin was located on the territory of Russia, it was to be divided in a similar way.

However, the unrestricted movement between East Germany (known as the German Democratic Republic or DDR) and West Germany (Federal Republic of Germany or FRG) became a matter of concern for the communist authorities. To stop the massive outflow of citizens from the DDR to the FRG, Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev authorized the construction of a border barrier.

Construction and characteristics

Construction of the Berlin Wall began suddenly on the night of August 12-13, 1961. Initially, the wall, consisting of coils of wire and concrete blocks, stretched for 96 miles (27 miles of which were within Berlin). The two walls, 11 to 15 feet high, were separated by a 160-foot-wide death strip.

The formidable wall consisted of an extensive surveillance network, including 302 watchtowers, 20 bunkers, 55,000 mines, 259 dog pits, and wire-operated machine guns. The three checkpoints initially allowed passage to those with the appropriate documents: Checkpoint Alpha, Checkpoint Bravo and Checkpoint Charlie.

Tragic losses and sprouts

327 people, including 10% of women, died trying to cross the Berlin Wall in West Germany. In addition, about 5,000 people were detained while trying to escape over or under the barrier during its existence.

Unexpected events of November 9, 1989

The fall of the Berlin Wall occurred unexpectedly and without a special government order. During a routine press conference on November 9, 1989, government spokesman Gunther Schabowski misinterpreted memos, falsely announcing that East Germans could cross the border into West Berlin "immediately, immediately." The announcement was supposed to be made the next day and concerned only tourist visas.

The overworked guards at the various checkpoints received no instructions on how to cope with the sudden influx of East Germans seeking to cross the border. As a result, on the order of Harald Jaeger, a guard at Bornholmerstrasse, the barrier was opened, leading to a significant influx of people into West Berlin.

Symbolism and consequences

Throughout the Cold War, communists and supporters of the Soviet Union often drew parallels between the Berlin Wall and U.S. immigration policy. However, President Ronald Reagan refuted this view during his visit to Berlin on June 11, 1982.

Reagan stated: "The Iron Curtain was not built to keep people out, but to keep people in." He emphasized that the wall was a symbol of repression. Five years later, on June 12, 1987, Reagan delivered his iconic speech at the Brandenburg Gate, demanding, "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall."