The Construction Of The Berlin Wall

The year 1961 was historic for the people of Berlin. It was when the Berlin Wall was constructed to separate East and West Berlin with the intention to prevent the democratic ideals of the West from influencing the East. On the night of August 12, 1961, East German soldiers put up 30 miles of barbed wire around Berlin. Three days later, they replaced the wires with concrete.

Throughout the rest of 1961, Berlin Wall grew in size and scope. The concrete walls were guarded with watchtowers, machine gun emplacements, and mines. It stood for 28 years and served as the most tangible remnant of the Cold War.