When the world split into East and West after the Second World War, Berlin became an anomaly. Split into four sectors, it was run jointly by the USSR and the Western powers. Crossing between the various zones was easy, and, once in a Western zone, East Berliners were able to emigrate unhindered. And until 1961, over three and a half million had done just that.
Eventually, as tensions between West and East increased, the East German regime decided to act. So, virtually overnight on 13 August 1961, it threw up the “Anti-Fascist Protection Rampart”, AKA the Berlin Wall. Officially, the wall was built to protect the pure-minded citizens of the East from being corrupted by the lies and decadence of the West. In reality, it served to imprison them.
By the time it was complete, two million tonnes of concrete had been poured and 700,000 tonnes of steel used in its construction. Armed guards, tripwires, anti-tank traps and vicious guard dogs made sure nobody could approach. But even so, over the lifetime of the wall, 5,000 people tried to escape up to 200 are believed to have died in their attempts.
Subscribe to MoneyWeek
Subscribe to MoneyWeek today and get your first six magazine issues absolutely FREE
Sign up to Money Morning
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
It became a potent symbol of the Cold War; a backdrop for spy thrillers and presidential grandstanding. Many people thought it would become a permanent feature.
But towards the end of the 1980s, cracks began to appear in the Communist bloc. Political change was under way in Poland. And in Hungary, the Pan European Picnic saw thousands cross the border into Austria.
Emboldened by these events, East Germans began protesting. And on this day in 1989, the East German government announced it was to allow its citizens to cross the border. Thousands of them streamed over on foot and in their Trabants. West Germans flocked to the wall to greet them, and began to rip sections down.
The official demolition didn't get under way until the following summer, and it wasn't until 1992 that it had been completely dismantled.
After days of mass protest, the East German government announced on 9 November 1989 that all East German citizens could visit West Germany and West Berlin.
-
Rightmove: Asking prices edge closer to record peakAsking prices have been driven up by the top-end of the market, Rightmove has found. But how does the situation look in your area?
-
Coventry Building Society bids £780m for Co-operative Bank - what could it mean for customers?Coventry Building Society has put in an offer of £780 million to buy Co-operative Bank. When will the potential deal happen and what could it mean for customers?
-
31 August 1957: the Federation of Malaya declares independence from the UKFeatures On this day in 1957, after ten years of preparation, the Federation of Malaya became an independent nation.
-
13 April 1960: the first satellite navigation system is launchedFeatures On this day in 1960, Nasa sent the Transit 1B satellite into orbit to provide positioning for the US Navy’s fleet of Polaris ballistic missile submarines.
-
9 April 1838: National Gallery opens in Trafalgar Square
Features On this day in 1838, William Wilkins’ new National Gallery building in Trafalgar Square opened to the public.
-
3 March 1962: British Antarctic Territory is created
Features On this day in 1962, Britain formed the British Antarctic Territory administered from the Falkland Islands.
-
10 March 2000: the dotcom bubble peaks
Features Tech mania fanned by the dawning of the internet age inflated the dotcom bubble to maximum extent, on this day in 2000.
-
9 March 1776: Adam Smith publishes 'The Wealth of Nations'
Features On this day in 1776, Adam Smith, the “father of modern economics”, published his hugely influential book The Wealth of Nations.
-
8 March 1817: the New York Stock Exchange is formed
Features On this day in 1817, a group of brokers moved out of a New York coffee house to form what would become the biggest stock exchange in the world.
-
7 March 1969: Queen Elizabeth II officially opens the Victoria Line
Features On this day in 1969, Queen Elizabeth II took only her second trip on the tube to officially open the underground’s newest line – the Victoria Line.
