The Berlin Wall was erected in 1961 by East Germany to prevent mass emigration to West Germany. It separated East and West Berlin and was a heavily fortified concrete barrier with guard towers, barbed wire, mines, and other security measures. Over its 28-year history, nearly 1,000 people died trying to escape from East to West Berlin, by jumping off buildings, drowning, or other means. The wall fell in 1989 amid large protests in East Germany and the relaxation of travel restrictions between East and West Germany, finally allowing reunification in 1990.

1. The wall of Berlin 1962

3. The Bizonia: was the combination of the American and the British
occupation zones in 1947 during the occupation of Germany after
World War II.

4. In March 1948 the Western powers decided to
unite their zones of Germany into a single
economic unit (Trizone).

6. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3Xe4AdJaFQ

7. The Berlin Wall

8. Erected by East German government / August of
1961.
Separated East Berlin from West Berlin
Divided for 28 years
The Wall

9. Why the Wall?
• Between 1942 and 1962, about 2.5
million East Germans fled to
West Germany, threatening to
destroy
East Germany’s economy.
• Wall was erected because of the
number of East Germans escaping
to West Germany
• West Germany was better off
than East.
• East Berlin was communist-lead

10. Building of the Wall

11. Security
• Concrete wall, 12 feet high
• Barbed wire
• Hundreds of guard dogs
• Randomly placed mines buried under the
ground
• 16 foot ditch to stop vehicles from
attempting escape
• Electric fences
• “Death Strip” of barren land

12. Checkpoint
• President John F. Kennedy ordered
checkpoints
• Three checkpoints at different points in the
wall
• “Charlie” because of the American
alphabet
• Other walls were Alpha & Bravo
• Most famous checkpoint

15. Casualties
• An estimated 940 people died
trying
to escape.
• A number of others died by
jumping
off of buildings or drowning.

16. Fall of the Wall
• Mass demonstrations against the government and the system
in East
Germany began at the end of September, until November
1989.
• The government prepared a new law to lift travel restrictions.
•On November 10th and
December 22nd, checkpoints
were opened for pedestrians
• Not until July 1st, 1990, did the
East and West finally reunite