The German Mission in the U.S. publishes “The Week in Germany.” This article discusses the building of the wall 50 years ago. One interesting aspect of the article is that some former East Germans still long for the safety and security of the communist regime. Some predict it will take another generation before East and West are truly unified. An excellent movie with this theme is Goodbye Lenin.
This weekend, Germany – and the world – will reflect upon the most powerful symbol of the Cold War. Construction began on the Berlin Wall as a clandestine operation under the cover of darkness on the eve of August 12, 1961.
Bewildered and distraught Berliners awoke to this new reality on August 13. West Berliners stood by helplessly as their neighbors in East Berlin were literally sealed off from them. There was nothing they could do to stop the plans of the repressive East German communist regime. Before the entire inner-city border was fully secured, many East Berliners jumped over to friends, neighbors or lovers in West Berlin from windows and balconies. And an East German border guard in a bold bid for freedom famously caught on a film clip that went around the world leapt over the barbed wire marking the future site of the Wall and made it over to West Berlin without a scratch. Others were not so lucky. Countless lives were lost as people sought to flee across the border, but were gunned down in the process. (Although a lucky few did manage to defect from the former GDR, via tunnels, via armored trucks, even via air balloons.)
After 28 years the Berlin Wall fell during the peaceful revolution of November 1989. It has now been torn down (22 years) for nearly as long as it stood. Yet it was such a powerful symbol of the Cold War that it still evokes a strong response today, a half century after its construction commenced.
