Large numbers of East Germans were leaving the German Democratic Republic and moving to West Germany, to give it its official name, the Federal Republic of Germany.
Rumours had been about that something was to happen, probably a wall but the GDR government vehemently denied plans to build any sort of barrier or fortification. And then overnight the Volksarmee plied their trade with barbwire, cement and metal barriers.
From then until 1989 every possible technique was used to strengthen the fortifications between East and West Germany.
The Catholic Church may have been the only organisation in Berlin which retained its HQ in East Berlin and worked across all Berlin. The bishop of Berlin resided in Bebel Platz beside the cathedral.
Due to an error made by a spokesman of the GDR government Berliners in large numbers arrived at the crossing at Bornholmer Strasse on November 30' 1989. The rest is history.
The West German authorities had a system in place whereby any GDR citizens arriving in the west would be given 50 DM from the government.
On the night of November 30, 1989 and in the following days the West German government kept its promise and paid out a lot of money.
And these days across Europe and in the US there's talk of building new walls and barriers.
The hope of then and the despair of now.
The piece below is from Wikipedia.
The Berlin Wall (German: Berliner Mauer, pronounced [bɛʁˈliːnɐ ˈmaʊ̯ɐ] (
listen)) was a guarded concrete barrier that physically and ideologically divided Berlin from 1961 to 1989.[1] Constructed by the German Democratic Republic (GDR, East Germany), starting on 13 August 1961, the Wall cut off (by land) West Berlin from virtually all of surrounding East Germany and East Berlin until government officials opened it in November 1989.[2] Its demolition officially began on 13 June 1990 and finished in 1992.[1][3]
listen)) was a guarded concrete barrier that physically and ideologically divided Berlin from 1961 to 1989.[1] Constructed by the German Democratic Republic (GDR, East Germany), starting on 13 August 1961, the Wall cut off (by land) West Berlin from virtually all of surrounding East Germany and East Berlin until government officials opened it in November 1989.[2] Its demolition officially began on 13 June 1990 and finished in 1992.[1][3]
The barrier included guard towers placed along large concrete walls,[4] accompanied by a wide area (later known as the "death strip") that contained anti-vehicle trenches, "fakir beds" and other defenses. The Eastern Bloc portrayed the Wall as protecting its population from fascist elements conspiring to prevent the "will of the people" in building a socialist state in East Germany.
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