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Berlin as a divided town

Explore the historical journey of Berlin from the aftermath of World War II, the division of the city, the construction and life with the Berlin Wall, to the fall of the wall and the challenges faced in the aftermath of reunification.

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Berlin as a divided town

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  1. Synopsis 1) First impressions 2) 1945-49: after world war II, divide of Germany 3) 1949-61: The (Re-)construction of two Berlins 4) 1961: Construction of the wall 5) 1961-89: Life with the wall, Escapes, Development until 1989 6) 1989: Fall of the Berlin Wall 7) 1989 until today: After the fall Berlin as a divided town

  2. - after german capitualtion in Mai 1945, Germany is occupied by the Allies - Potsdam Conference: - major aims: Demilitarisation, De- Nazification, Democratisation, Decentralisation, Disassemblement (5 D´s) - every power can do his own policy in zone 2) 1945-49: after word war II, divide of Germany

  3. - The Allies start to split up: - Soviet political acts without other allies - Truman-Doctrine: anticommunist and antisoviet - different policies in zones: Disassemblement and Marshall-Plan/ communistic and capitalistic - two german states are founded in 1949: FRG and GDR - Cold war/ East-West-Conflict starts 2) 1945-49: after word war II, divide of Germany

  4. 3) 1949-61: The (Re-)construction of two Berlins

  5. 3) 1949-61: The (Re-)construction of two Berlins - Berlin lies within the Soviet Sector - 1948 starts the Berlin Blockade

  6. „Candy Bomber“

  7. 3) 1949-61: The (Re-)construction of two Berlins - the development of the two states is different - GDR´s econmy stucks under Disassemblement - FRG´s econmy grows with Marshall Plan - GDR´s population is discontent - Upspring from June 17 1953 - mass emigration (3.5 Mio until 1961) - Berlin Crisis 1958-1961

  8. - due to US-Military increase and GDR´s political/ economical/ socially crisis GDR and Soviet leaders see only one option: sealing off the sector border - in the night to August 13 1961 the wall is started to be build 4) 1961: Construction of the wall

  9. „No one has the intention of building a wall.“

  10. - except of 13 (later 7) crossing points West-Berlin is sealed off - 10.000 Soldiers and border guards ensure the constrution - except of about 100 party members no one knew of the construction - train service is interrupted - houses on the border are evacuated 4) 1961: Construction of the wall

  11. 5) 1961-89: Life with the wall, Escapes, Development until 1989 - crossing the border from east to west is forbidden by death - emigration decreases dramatically - 1961-1989: 40.101 (5.075 in Berlin) escapes, many spectecular - more than 130 people are killed at the Berlin Wall - until 1989 the barriers are continuousely improved

  12. - with the construction of the wall GDR´s existence is secured - policy changes to détente and acceptance - Treaty of Warsaw and Four Power Agreement - state visits to the wall (e.g. Khrushchev and Kennedy) 5) 1961-89: Life with the wall, Escapes, Development until 1989

  13. 5) 1961-89: Life with the wall, Escapes, Development until 1989 - from 1971 (Honecker era) GDR´s Social Policy improves while FRG´s economy stucks - wall opens for vistors to the east and becomes lucrative - at the same time expands the Ministry for State Security - east-west-relations worsen at the end of the 70s - at the same time GDR´s economy is in a big crisis - more and more people apply for emegration and are allowed to go, though confronted with huge problems

  14. 5) 1961-89: Life with the wall, Escapes, Development until 1989 - Gorbachev gives more independence; Poland and Hungary start democratic reforms in early 89 - increasing number of people (89: 100.00) in GDR wait for allowence to emigrate and start to demonstrate for it - many escape over Hungary or FRG´s embassies - in April 89 Honecker revokes „order to shoot“ - demonstrations increase rapidly and can´t be stoped

  15. 6) 1989: Fall of the Berlin Wall - SED realizes social and economic crisis; new General Secretary Egon Krenz announces „turn around“ - FRG´s government offers economical help in return of democratic reforms - GDR´s government quickly works out a new regulation for travel - Schabowski proclaims free right to travel accidently on November 9, 1989 - due to this people start to demand to cross the border; border guards don´t know what to do and finally at about 11 p.m. Open the border

  16. - SED looses control - Demonstrations continue and demand one german state - Soviet Union realizes that GDR can´t be maintained - first free election in march 90 - in June 90 FRG´s parliament votes for an economic, monetary and social union - two-plus-four-conference gives authority for german state - on October 3 1990 official (re-)unification 6) 1989: Fall of the Berlin Wall

  17. 7) 1989 until today: After the fall - people are united - huge costs for Unification - most of eastern Germany still faces massive social problems - intense increase of racism in early 90s (e.g. Rostock-Lichtenhagen)

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