Light

Berlin Wall

Definition

The Berlin Wall was a fortified barrier that physically and ideologically divided Berlin from 1961 to 1989. It was built by the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) to prevent its citizens from fleeing to West Germany.

Analogy

Think of the Berlin Wall as a huge, impenetrable fence in the middle of your school separating two groups of friends. You can see each other but you can't cross over - that's how it felt for people living on either side of the wall.

Related terms

Iron Curtain: A term used to describe the division between free or democratic countries and communist countries during Cold War era.

Checkpoint Charlie: The most famous crossing point between East and West Berlin during the Cold War.

Fall of Berlin Wall: An event in 1989 where the East German government announced that all GDR citizens could visit West Germany and West Berlin, leading to mass scale migration and eventually demolition of wall.