East Germany closed the border through Berlin on 13 August 1961 to halt the movement of its citizens to the West. Barbed wire barriers developed into a fortified system of walls, patrol roads and guard towers.
The Wall divided streets, workplaces and families. People continued to attempt escape; many were imprisoned and at least 140 people died at the Berlin Wall, according to the Berlin Wall Memorial's research.
On 9 November 1989, an unclear announcement about travel rules prompted crowds to gather at crossings. Guards opened the barriers, transforming the political crisis in East Germany.
Why It Matters
The Wall made the Cold War's division visible in daily urban life, and its opening became a symbol of communist rule's collapse in Europe.