The fall of the Berlin wall, which took place on this day, thirty years ago, marked the beginning of a new era for both Germany and the World. The wall was the most iconic structure of the Cold War, dividing Europe into two blocs, the Eastern Bloc under Soviet Union and the Western Bloc spearheaded by Britain and France. The fall of the Berlin wall was symbolic for the fall of the Soviet Union as well. This era marked the beginning of the continuous dissolution and eventual disintegration of the USSR.
(Life after the fall of the Berlin Wall- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRk4sRj8SLw)
A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE BERLIN WALL
The story of the construction of the Berlin Wall goes back to World War II. After the end of the Second World War, Germany was dived among the four allied powers- Britain, France, the United States of America and The Soviet Union. While Britain France and the United States of America occupied the Western half of Germany, the Soviet Union had control over the Eastern part. The non Soviet states combined their zones to form a united West Germany. Berlin, which was the capital of Germany, was divided on the same basis, despite the city being in Soviet administered Germany. In 1949, Germany formally split into two independent nations: the Federal Republic of Germany (FDR or West Germany), allied to the Western Bloc, and the German Democratic Republic (GDR or East Germany), allied to the Eastern Bloc.
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In May 1952 the open border between the east and the West Germany was closed by the eastern side of the border. In the subsequent years after 1952 it became difficult to escape to the other side of the border. The Until 1961 East German citizen were allowed to travel to West Berlin. The Wall was erected in 1961 because more than 2.6 million East Germans escaped to West Berlin or West Germany from 1949 to 1961. The Soviet government justified this action as being taken to stop the spread of western Fascism. Families were divided and the heartbreaking stories are evident in the many testimonials recorded from this period. People caught crossing the wall were shot dead by the Communist regime.
West Germany including West Berlin had got financial support from the United States of America through the Marshall plan. On the eastern side a communist system was established and many people suffered under the communist regime. East Germany differed from West Germany which developed into a capitalist country with a social market economy and democratic republic. There was also economic growth which was termed as the 20 year “economic miracle”. As the economy in the west grew, its standard of living improved. Many eastern Germans wished to move to move to West.
The fall of the Berlin Wall and subsequent reunification of Germany was a result of the acute problems being faced by the Soviet Union. But, most importantly, it was the emergence of probably one of the most important Russian leaders, Mikhail Gorbachev. His policy of glasnost (openness) and perestroika (restructuring) is what brought about this change.
On 9 th November 1981, when the reunification of Berlin and bringing down of the wall was announced, thousands gathered at the Berlin wall to watch its demolition. The breaking down of the wall carried on for a few days. People used hammers and other tools to chip at the wall and were referred to by the nickname Mauerspechte (woodpecker in German). People kept bits of the wall as relics and for memory.
Even today, many souvenir shops in Berlin sell pieces of the Wall. The fall of the Berlin Wall was
televised, crowds gathered on both sides of the wall to cheer the bulldozers that brought down the wall.
The Brandenburg Gate in the Berlin Wall was opened on 22 December 1989; on that date, West German Chancellor Helmut Kohl walked through the gate and was greeted by East German Prime Minister Hans Modrow.The fall of the wall marked the first step in the unification of Germany and on 3rd October 1990, Germany was officially reunified. The fall of the Berlin wall was televised and watched by
thousands.
FALL OF THE BERLIN WALL AND ITS IMPACT ON THE SOVIET UNION
“On the night of 9 November 1989, East German border police opened crossing points in the Berlin Wall allowing jubilant East Berliners to stream through unhindered to the west.” (The Guardian, 1989)
The above statement holds testimony to the extraordinary November night which went on to change the entire political scenario of Europe. The world had long been under the dominance of the power struggle between the two camps, namely USA and the Soviet Union. This singular event marked the beginning to the end of this power play and gave birth to a century of nation building and new world order. The relationship between the former wartime Allies, although tense from as early as 1942, became increasingly strained as they struggled to reach agreement on the shape of post-war Europe. By 1945, the United States and the Soviet Union had begun to emerge as ideologically opposed superpowers, each wanting to exert their influence in the post-war world. Germany became a focus of Cold War politics and as divisions between East and West became more pronounced, there was political turmoil all throughout the country. Thus, the fall of the Berlin Wall marked the first step towards German reunification. Germany formally reunited on 3 October 1990, 11 months after the fall of the
Berlin Wall. Soon after the reunification of Germany, the focus shifted on the other member states of the Soviet Union. Thus, we can say that the significance of the fall of the Berlin Wall is symbolic of Europe being reborn after it decades long struggle against internal strife, oppressive regimes and post-
war conditions.
THE BERLIN WALL AND ITS INFLUENCE ON POP CULTURE, BOOKS
AND FILMS
The Berlin Wall was a big part of the pop culture of the 70s and 80s. Books, Films and Music made during this period (especially those based on the Cold War) took inspiration from it. Many musicians of the 80s, inspired by the fall of the Berlin wall wrote songs. These included Wind of Change by the Scorpions, Nikita by Elton John, David Bowie’s Heroes U2’s One, David Hasselhoff’s Looking for Freedom and Pink Floyd’s A Great Day for Freedom. Books inspired the Berlin Wall include 1632, Berlin Noir, The Berlin Stories, Winter, and The Berlin Wall. Films on this theme: Goodbye Lenin!, Cabaret, Downfall, Hannah Arendt and Valkyrie.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLkG1hiAYPSklmLbvcSedPJziszNgx8_Cz https://lsrhistory.wordpress.com/2019/11/09/movie-review/ https://lsrhistory.wordpress.com/2019/11/09/book-review/
HOW’S BERLIN CELEBRATING?
The city is going all out with its celebrations marking thirty years since the fall of the Berlin wall. The festivities are estimated to cost 10 million Euros! From art installations to music shows, no stone is being left unturned to celebrate this special day. A seven day city wide festival is taking place to mark this historic event. From 4 th -10 th November, the story of how the Wall came down will be told at sites across the city. Online sites have detailed itineraries of all the events taking place and the city has geared up for its biggest celebration yet, and in true German style there ought to be lots of beer and Bratwurst!
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RELEVANCE OF THE BERLIN WALL TODAY
During the 2016 refugee crisis that hit Europe, Germany was one of the only countries to welcome these refugees with open arms. Maybe it’s because of their lived experience of separation and division that they could empathize with these refugees. Furthermore, the example of the Berlin Wall should stand as a lesson on how walls and borders create nothing more than strife, grief and handicap development. In today’s world there is a trend of creating borders, be it ideological or tangible. It is ironic how countries which once championed for the unification of Berlin and dissolution of borders, are the very ones engaging in wall building (Donald Trump’s wall) and division policy making (Brexit). Although the half broken wall stands today as a relic of Cold War politics, it ought to serve as a reminder of why walls are unnecessary, divisive and isolating!
Writers:
Ankita Ghosh,2B, Sneha Sengupta, 2B, Medha Prakash, 2B
DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY 