The Berlin Wall (1961–1989)

The Berlin Wall was a 155 km (96 mile) physical barrier that completely encircled West Berlin from August 13, 1961, to November 9, 1989.

1. Construction and Dimensions

- **Initial Phase:** Barbed wire fences were erected overnight on **August 13, 1961**.

- **The Fourth Generation (Grenzmauer 75):** Installed starting in 1975, this was the iconic concrete wall.

- **Height:** 3.6 meters (11.8 ft).

- **Width:** 1.2 meters (3.9 ft).

- **Components:** Reinforced concrete with a smooth pipe on top to prevent gripping.

2. The "Death Strip"

The barrier was not a single wall but a complex system including:

- **Hinterland Wall:** A second wall 30 to 100 meters inside East Berlin.

- **Signals:** Tripwires and "Stalin’s Grass" (steel spikes hidden in the sand).

- **Surveillance:** 302 watchtowers, 20 bunkers, and 259 dog runs.

- **Control:** A wide strip of raked sand to make footprints visible.

3. Casualties and Escapes

- **Deaths:** The Potsdam Center for Contemporary History (ZZF) confirms at least **140 deaths** at the Wall between 1961 and 1989. The first victim was Ida Siekmann (Aug 22, 1961); the last was Chris Gueffroy (Feb 6, 1989).

- **Successful Escapes:** Approximately 5,000 people successfully escaped, including 57 who crawled through "Tunnel 57" in 1964.

4. Diplomatic Milestones

- **1963:** John F. Kennedy visits the Wall: *"Two thousand years ago, the proudest boast was 'civis Romanus sum.' Today, in the world of freedom, the proudest boast is 'Ich bin ein Berliner.'"*

- **1987:** Ronald Reagan at the Brandenburg Gate: *"General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace... Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!"*

5. The Fall: November 9, 1989

Triggered by a bungled press conference by GDR official **Günter Schabowski**, who incorrectly stated that travel regulations were effective "immediately."

- **Checkpoint Bornholmer Straße:** At 11:30 PM, Harald Jäger, the officer in charge, opened the gates without orders to prevent a violent crush of the 20,000 people gathered.

- **Demolition:** The military began formal demolition of the Wall in **June 1990**, finishing by 1992. Today, only three sections remain: the East Side Gallery, the Bernauer Straße memorial, and the Niederkirchnerstraße section.