History
What is The Berlin Wall?
The Berlin Wall was a guarded concrete barrier that divided the city of Berlin from 1961 to 1989, separating communist East Germany from democratic West Germany. It became the defining symbol of the Cold War — and its fall, of freedom.
See it, don’t just read it.
Watch a 2-minute lesson with voice + animation that explains the berlin wall.
Key things to understand
- 1Built in 1961 by East Germany to stop people fleeing to the West.
- 2It physically and symbolically split Berlin for 28 years.
- 3It became the iconic symbol of the Cold War divide.
- 4Its fall in 1989 led to German reunification and the Cold War's end.
Frequently asked questions
- Why was the Berlin Wall built?
- To stop East Germans escaping to the democratic, prosperous West.
- When did the Berlin Wall fall?
- In November 1989, amid mass protests and political change across the Eastern Bloc.
- What did the Berlin Wall symbolize?
- The division between the communist East and democratic West during the Cold War.