The Berlin Wall was an important part of history that took the rights from the people of Berlin. The responsibilities of the soldiers to guard the wall were increased. They needed to make sure that no one could cross between the East part of the city and the West. The Berlin Wall was constructed on August 12-13, 1961 and destroyed in 1989. Overnight, in the element of surprise, the wall went up. West Berlin was occupied by the American, French, and British. East Berliners fled to the west during the time period between 1952 and 1961. The people in Berlin built a physical wall in 1961 because so many people escaped. In 1946, the line separating East and West Berlin was set up using roadblocks, barbed wire fences and other obstacles. About 86 to 262 died because they were trying to cross the wall. (Langerbein, "Great Blunders?: The Great Wall of China, the Berlin Wall, and the Proposed United States/Mexico Border Patrol Fence," 22).
People were moving to new countries because they did not like the wall that separated them and their family and friends. The first barrier or obstacle was a barbed wire fence, which citizens could make some contact, but the next barrier would prevent such close connection. In 1962, barbed wire was a new barrier at the Berlin Wall. One horrific example of separation was the story of one family: One woman and her baby were on one side, and her husband was on the other, and then the next day, the wall went up. The last time she had seen her husband was when they were waving to each other through the window. (Pidd, "Berlin Wall 50 Years On: Families Divided, Loved Ones Lost," 2011). When they were constructing the wall, they needed space, so they even blew up a church. Eight border guards were killed in the line of duty (Langerbein, "Great Blunders?: The Great Wall of China, the Berlin Wall, and the Proposed United States/Mexico Border Patrol Fence," 22).
People were moving to new countries because they did not like the wall that separated them and their family and friends. The first barrier or obstacle was a barbed wire fence, which citizens could make some contact, but the next barrier would prevent such close connection. In 1962, barbed wire was a new barrier at the Berlin Wall. One horrific example of separation was the story of one family: One woman and her baby were on one side, and her husband was on the other, and then the next day, the wall went up. The last time she had seen her husband was when they were waving to each other through the window. (Pidd, "Berlin Wall 50 Years On: Families Divided, Loved Ones Lost," 2011). When they were constructing the wall, they needed space, so they even blew up a church. Eight border guards were killed in the line of duty (Langerbein, "Great Blunders?: The Great Wall of China, the Berlin Wall, and the Proposed United States/Mexico Border Patrol Fence," 22).
Quotes
-"Ich bin ein Berliner"
Said by John F. Kennedy at his famous speech at the wall in 1963. |
-"It was ugly, horrible. It was like living in a prison. These East Berliners would come up and beg us, “Take us to West Berlin.” The amount of people I personally brought over my government never knew. I would have been relieved of my duty... It was a joyous time for us to help people be free."
Said Verner N. Pike, a US serviceman in Berlin, from a TV interview recorded in 2006, talking about his memories of 1961. |
-"Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall."
Said by Ronald Reagan to Gorbachev in 1987 at his speech at the Berlin Wall and Brandenburg Gate. |
-“Freedom has many difficulties and democracy is not perfect, but we never had to put up a wall to keep our people in. All free men, wherever they may live, are citizens of Berlin, and therefore, as a free man, I take pride in the words, “Ich bin ein Berliner”.”
-John F. Kennedy, also said at his "Ich bin ein Berliner" speech. |
-“Driving through Checkpoint Charlie was like driving off the set of a color movie and into film noir. The sky was gray. The buildings were gray. The clothes were gray. The people were gray. They shuffled along, slumped over, looking very tired. Most people ignored us, but some walked by and without turning their heads, winked or raised an eyebrow to say hello-- knowing full well that if they got caught, they would be arrested and possibly never seen again.”
S. Agliano, 8th Infantry, Germany, 1969-72. (Anne Rooney, 2010, p27) |