In the light of my recent article about "the division of Ukraine into two states", I dug up information about West Berlin and the wall that at one time divided not only the city, but also Europe and the whole world
One of the main goals of Soviet diplomacy in the 1940s and 1960s was to stabilize the situation in Europe; the German problem had to be solved. The lack of legal recognition of the GDR had serious consequences for the USSR and its allies, since it was possible to constantly challenge the legality of the very existence of the second German state.
MEMORIES OF A SOVIET JOURNALIST
West Berlin was unique city. Its history is not long. In May 1945 former capital Germany - the so-called. Greater Berlin - in accordance with inter-allied agreements, was divided into four sectors of occupation, each of which housed the garrisons of the troops of one of the four victorious powers - the USSR, the USA, Great Britain and France. In 1949, after the formation of the FRG and the GDR, the authorities of the latter declared eastern part cities as their capital, where they settled Soviet troops.
Gateway to the West
And the western sectors remained under the occupation regime of our former allies. Long years this city remained a constant source of tension in international relations. As soon as he was not called! This is both "a thorn in the body of the GDR", and "the cheapest atomic bomb”, and “frontline city”. In principle, as eyewitnesses of those events told me, it was so. Recall at least 1961, when at the checkpoint Friedrichstrasse in the city center all night at a distance of two hundred meters from each other, American and Soviet tanks stood in combat readiness. You can imagine what would happen if someone's nerves failed! And how much has been written about the activities of foreign intelligence services, which simply swarmed in such a small area, about digging underground, so-called. "mole" tunnels to install eavesdropping systems in them!
And only with the signing on September 3, 1971 by representatives of the USSR, the USA, Great Britain and France of the Quadripartite Agreement on West Berlin, many problems around this city were settled, and thus the way was opened for the normal development of relations between East and West.
West Berlin, despite the presence of allied troops there, had its own constitution, coat of arms, flag, anthem, and authorities. The Soviet Union received the right to open in this city the Consulate General, the Bureau of Foreign Trade Associations, the representative office of Aeroflot, Intourist, as well as the Bureau of the APN and the TASS office.
Our office was located on the quiet street of Ansbacherstrasse, which connected Kurfürstenstrasse with Wittenbergplatz, from where the central street of West Berlin, Kurfürsten Damm, or Kudamm, as the West Berliners called it, began. A stone's throw from us was the city center with the famous dilapidated Gedächtniskirche, reminiscent of the destruction last war, the largest department store Western Europe- KaDeVe (Kaufhaus des Westens) and high-rise building"Europe-Center", on the roof of which the star "Mercedes-Benz" slowly rotated.
For us - Soviet citizens, especially those who came to the West for the first time - there were many unusual things in the life of this "island". Including the fact that, in accordance with the Quadripartite Agreement on West Berlin, the employees of the Bureau of APN and TASS did not have the right to permanently stay in the city, and, therefore, we had to leave West Berlin before 24.00 and leave for the night in the capital of the GDR - Berlin, where us at cozy apartments on Leninplatz our families were looking forward to it. Every morning, having brought the kids to the embassy school, I drove by car to work in the bureau. Usually used the checkpoint "Checkpoint Charlie", which was located in the zone American control. In general, the daily crossing of the border of the most “developed socialism” and very developed capitalism was very interesting. And not only in terms of comparing the achievements of one or another formation. First, of course, we entered the border zone of the GDR: tall metal gates to match the concrete wall, a checkpoint with barriers, border guards and customs officers, watchtowers, well-trained dogs of the appropriate breed. In a word, real state border with all its inherent attributes, the passage of which immediately set people in a serious mood. I don’t know how the GDR servicemen treated others, but I must admit that I never had any problems with them: always friendly, with a smile and non-committal pleasant conversation about nothing, like, how's life, how are you? And one day, when I “walked” long after midnight (at work, of course) with my friend and colleague - the editor-in-chief of one of the West Berlin newspapers - I thought, that's it, it's time to collect things and zurck nach Hause. Firstly, I violated the Quadripartite Agreement, secondly, the iron gates in the GDR were tightly closed at night, and thirdly, even if the border guards deign to open them personally for me, they will certainly report the incident to the Soviet ambassador. He drove up to the gate and knocked. Silence. Started drumming. Oddly enough, the gate began to slowly open. An officer came up, accompanied by submachine gunners, they checked the "suspicious" person. And what do you think? Let them in! And they didn't report it! In a word, everything worked out. And the next morning, a West Berlin newspaper published an article by a Soviet scientist that was very beneficial for our country. So, sometimes at the risk of a career, one had to push through the materials of the APN.
And on the other side of the border we were met by the Americans with the British and the French (for some reason, there was a joint checkpoint of the allies here) and West Berlin police and customs officers. There was little resemblance to the border there: no barriers, neat, unobtrusive buildings for the police and customs, normal four-five-story residential buildings with shops and cafes, and even a small museum dedicated to the history of defectors from the GDR to West Berlin and the FRG. And, of course, three small-sized booths of allies with national flags always raised, dividing the street into two carriageways. In general, people who arrived from the East were greeted by a pleasant colored postcard, if a military jeep with a crew of armed american soldiers, one of which always stood up to his full height near the uncovered machine gun, directed towards the GDR. Black American guys especially loved to show off like that, and maybe even to catch fear on the entering black American guys. A very strict and unkind look, and an uncovered machine gun spoiled the mood a little. But the friendly greetings of “Guten Morgen” from the West Berlin police and customs officers, who already knew me by sight, immediately returned the mood to the “peaceful rails”.
Showcase of capitalism
West Berlin was indeed a real "showcase of the capitalist world": a large industrial center with developed trade, a superbly established banking system, and a service sector. In terms of aggregate gross product, the city could be compared with such developed countries like Finland, Denmark, Portugal or Turkey. About 180 research centers were concentrated in West Berlin, 35 museums, 18 theaters worked there. The symphony orchestra of the West Berlin Philharmonic under the direction of Herbert von Karajan was world famous. It was the venue for international fairs, exhibitions and various congresses.
I well remember my first visit to West Berlin, when my colleague, the correspondent of the bureau, whom I replaced, took me there. He easily navigated big city, calmly, without any hassle, drove a car among a stream of Mercedes and Volkswagens rushing somewhere, while at the same time he managed to tell me about the most famous historical places, monuments and made me remember the routes to the bureau and West Berlin publishing houses with which I had to work. I confess that after the gloomy and untidy Moscow in those days, with huge queues of nervous fellow citizens for everything that was thrown onto the shelves, it seemed to me that I was traveling through paradise. Everything around shines, in the luxurious windows of no less luxurious stores that simply did not end along the entire route, an abundance of everything that one could dream of soviet man. And no queues for you! And people! They sit in kneips (cozy pubs), sip fragrant coffee in open cafes. Some are all calm, kind, smiling, as if everyone is on vacation. On this occasion, much later, I asked my German colleague - why is that so? And he answered with one simple phrase - yes, because they are full! And that's it. Didn't add anything else. It looks like it is. In general, from what I saw on the first day, my head was spinning. But over time, the euphoric state has passed, although I admit that I fell in love with this city.
And the "showcase of the capitalist world", of course, had other features, such as unemployment, crime, drug addiction, prostitution, the problem of the homeless. By the way, during the Andropov-Chernenkov period, that is, in the first years of my business trip, these were the main topics of our publications. I must confess that most of my seconded colleagues in Berlin, in general, did not even try to oppose our ideological dogmas. In some part, we were all confident in the correctness of Moscow's assessments: the window in the West is really beautiful, but problems are necessarily hidden behind it. And only after some time did we begin to understand that in the “decaying” West, there are still more positives than negatives, that the average resident there, in legal terms, feels much more confident and lives much better than the average Soviet citizen. Unemployment benefits in those days allowed a person to hold out comfortably for some time (and the state during this period offered him at least three times a new workplace), well-groomed old men and women easily allowed themselves to sit in a cafe for a cup of coffee or a glass of liquor, go to Spain or the Canary Islands, a simple housemaster (a house manager and a plumber in one person) in the evenings easily sat in a kneip at the same table with a deputy local senate.
In general, the first years I wrote more about “poverty” than about “brilliance” and, of course, about the struggle for peace of certain progressive public figures, political parties, anti-war movements, about the fact that young neo-Nazism is raising its head in West Berlin, and the broad masses of progressively minded youth, somewhere akin to the current anti-globalists, stage demonstrations and smash those very beautiful shop windows and offices with stones stored in their bosoms. And by the way, prepare a good and interesting material, say, about the same homeless man, it was not so easy. Capitalism also infiltrated Westerners with its ideology - a homeless man demanded remuneration for an interview, that is, he “worked” according to the principle “goods - money - goods”. On the advice of experienced journalists, I bought a Soviet export bottle of wheat vodka and with this present I went to the Zoobahnhof Central Station, where it was easy to “remove” a homeless person for this product, and not only him. He settled down near a large cardboard box - homeless people's housing - and a heart-to-heart conversation began. And among them came across very interesting people - both former actors, and scientists, and simple hard workers. No, there was something to write about: about the cat, which the old woman, without noticing, washed in the washing machine, and she remained alive and well, and about the famous allied prison in Spandau, where Hitler's ally Rudolf Hess spent the last years of his life. We paid much attention to the political elite of the FRG, for whom West Berlin was a kind of "place of pilgrimage." Distinguished guests from Bonn, I think, deliberately "forgot" the pivotal provision of the Quadripartite Agreement: "The western sectors of Berlin are not integral part The FRG will not be ruled by it in the future” and held their federal party congresses and election campaigns here. For this they "got" from our journalistic corps, but from them - like water off a duck's back. In short, West and East read the same international document as it was beneficial to the parties. But I must admit that we never missed the chance to personally meet and communicate with such well-known and respected politicians as Willy Brandt, Hans-Dietrich Genscher, Count Otto von Lambsdorf, Martin Bangemann, Günther Rexrodt.
The ice has broken
I happened to work in this city from 1984 to 1989. That was very interesting time. Before my eyes, political and economic ties between Moscow and West Berlin were gradually strengthening. With the help of the APN, I mean the organization of information support, the first visit to Moscow was made by the ruling Mayor of West Berlin, the Social Democrat Walter Momper. Scientific and cultural cooperation expanded rather actively. There was a lot of work, and consequently, we acquired acquaintances and friends. And not only the Germans! Italians, Turks, Iranians, Greeks - they all visited our bureau, and in terms of information, we actively cooperated with them. But first of all, of course, we worked with our West Berlin colleagues.
And in the late 1980s, we began to openly write about the rapprochement between the positions of Moscow and Bonn on many issues of international life, and even about options the future device of Germany! Now Westerners came to us asking for interviews.
In general, perestroika in the USSR was perceived in West Berlin society with interest and certain hopes. But the authorities of the GDR, especially its political leadership, were rather wary of the new trends in our country. And as a result of this, the press of a country friendly to us paid very little attention to what was happening in the Union. Many citizens of the GDR were forced to seek additional sources information. And, oddly enough, in certain period time such a source was the illustrated digest of APN "Sputnik". I don't know, maybe by some secret agreement, but Moscow stopped sending this digest to the APN bureau in the GDR. And to us, in West Berlin, Sputnik, although in smaller quantities, continued to arrive. Citizens of the GDR, mostly representatives of the intelligentsia, who came to West Berlin on duty, frequented our bureau. For me personally, our bureau at that time began to resemble a reading room. In fact, the doors were open to everyone, but with special joy we met our Russians, who, with different missions came to West Berlin. I remember that Alexander Lazarev and Svetlana Nemolyaeva come to us, so, easily, as they say - at the light. The press conferences held within the walls of the bureau with the participation of Svyatoslav Fedorov and Alexander Bovin were a real pandemonium. Yulian Semyonov came to work on his next book and, with the permission of the local police, rummaged through its archives for ten days. And in his free time he came to us. One day, before leaving, he ran in to say goodbye and accidentally left his sunglasses on my table. I called him, but he, a kind-hearted man, said: “Okay, Yegorka, (for some reason he liked to call me that) let them stay with you as a keepsake.” I still keep them.
Greek singer Mikis Theodorakis two years before his fall Berlin Wall told me that the unification of Germany was inevitable, that the German nation would be united again. And this happened, but, unfortunately, without me, since my business trip was over. Some two months did not last to witness this historic event.
Neither West Berlin nor the GDR appeared on the political map of the world. A new page has begun in the history of Germany.
As you know, by agreement of the Allies, not only the entire territory of Germany, but also the city of Berlin was divided into occupation zones. As a result, after the announcement of two new German states- The FRG and the GDR - in 1949, an enclave with a special status appeared on the territory of the latter. West Berlin was not officially part of the FRG, and until 1990 the supreme power in the city was the tripartite military commandant's office of the United States, England and France. At the same time, economically, West Berlin was still connected with the FRG, the West German mark operated there.
Until the construction of the Berlin Wall, relatively free communication was maintained between the eastern and western parts of the city.
Police inspect citizens entering the American sector of Berlin, 1949:
During the division of Berlin, the entire historical part of the city ended up in the eastern sector, and West Berlin, for all the vastness of its territory, turned out to be somehow faceless. It seems that on all post-war postcards it is represented by only one view of the Kurfürstendamm street, abbreviated Kudamm. According to Wikipedia, this 3.5 km long street starts at Breitscheidplatz and leads to Rathenauplatz (German: Rathenauplatz). Kudamm is known as a popular place for walking, shopping and entertainment. The prototype of Kudamm was the Champs Elysees.
In short, the Kurfürstendamm was the front window of West Berlin, the opposite of Stalin Alley in the eastern sector.
Kurfürstendamm in 1954: 
In perspective, the main architectural symbol of the Zap is visible. Berlin (excluding the Reichstag) - Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church. Unlike other remarkable ruins of Berlin, which simply did not reach the hands for decades, this ruined church was decided to be left as it is in memory of the war. For posterity.
Kurfürstendamm in 1956: 
Let's turn to Wiki again: "Allied air raids in the Second world war only 43 houses survived on the Kurfürstendamm. The restoration of the street took place during cold war, and the Kurfürstendamm became a showcase for the West and a symbol economic miracle. After the division of Berlin and the monetary reform of 1948, the Kurfürstendamm, or rather its eastern part near the station " zoological garden", has become shopping mall West Berlin."
Kurfürstendamm in the late 1950s, without tram lines: 
By Berlin standards, this street is quite young. On May 5, 1886, the first tram passed through the Kurfürstendamm - this day is considered the official birth date of the Berlin Boulevard.
Evening Kurfürstendamm in 1960: 
Evening Kurfürstendamm in the 1960s, the new belfry of the church, built between 1959 and 1963, is already visible: 
If the memorial church did not get into the frame, on the always busy Kudamme, by the end of the 1950s, nothing reminded of dire consequences wars: 
After the fall of the Berlin Wall, the Kurfürstendamm lost some importance, the city center shifted to its historical part in the Berlin-Mitte area. Additional competition for the Kurfürstendamm is also the new quarter on Potsdamer Platz. Kurfürstendamm is gradually turning into a street of exclusive shops (again from Vicki).
West Berlin (English West Berlin, French Berlin-Ouest, German West-Berlin) - public education, which existed from 1949 to 1990 in the western part of the city of Berlin; an enclave surrounded by the territory of the German Democratic Republic. As a state entity, West Berlin arose after the Second World War and included the territories of the American, French and British sectors of the occupation of Berlin.
After unconditional surrender In Nazi Germany, its capital Berlin was divided between the countries of the anti-Hitler coalition into four occupation zones. The eastern zone, occupied by Soviet troops, became the capital of the German Democratic Republic in 1949. Until 1961, the border between the western and eastern part Berlin was open. The 44.75 km dividing line (the total length of the border between West Berlin and the GDR was 164 km) ran straight through the streets and houses, the Spree River, and canals. Officially operated 81 street checkpoint, 13 passages in the subway and on the city railway. Every day, between 300,000 and 500,000 people crossed the border between the two parts of the city. A Berliner could live in the eastern part of the city and work in the western part and vice versa.
West Berlin was not part of the Federal Republic of Germany. Supreme power in the city was a tripartite (American-British-French) military commandant's office. Legislative power was exercised by the Chamber of Deputies (Parliament), elected by the population for four years, the executive power was exercised by the Senate of Berlin (government), headed by the burgomaster. However, West Berlin used the mark of the FRG as a currency, there was a ground and air corridor connecting West Berlin and the FRG.
In 1958, the GDR authorities declared their claim to sovereignty over West Berlin on the grounds that it was "in the territory of the GDR". This claim has been rejected Western countries led by the United States, which declared that they would defend "the freedom of West Berlin" with all their might. In the late 1950s, the open border between western and eastern Berlin became a window through which citizens of the GDR could freely travel to the West. In order to stop mass emigration in August 1961, the GDR authorities began the construction of a guarded wall that physically separated West Berlin from the GDR. The Berlin Wall has become a symbol of the Cold War, the division of mankind into two opposing social camps.
With the conclusion of the Quadripartite Agreement on West Berlin on 3 September 1971, his legal status received international recognition. remained in West Berlin occupation regime, his legal system retained the specifics determined by the allied legislation. On September 12, 1990, the “two plus four” agreement was signed in Moscow (GDR and FRG, and the USSR, USA, Great Britain, France), which marked the beginning of the unification of Germany. According to its provisions, West Berlin as a state entity ceased to exist at midnight CET from 2 to 3 October 1990. Since that time, the occupation of West Berlin by the troops of the USA, Great Britain, and France has officially ceased; western and eastern parts of Berlin merged into one city. Subsequently, a united Berlin became the capital of a united Germany.
According to the agreements concluded by the allies in the anti-Hitler coalition during the war years, the defeated Germany was divided into zones of occupation. Although the capital of the Third Reich, Berlin, was stormed only by Soviet troops, occupation zones were created there as well. The USSR occupied the eastern part of the city, the Americans - the southwestern, the British - the western, and the French gained control of the northwestern section.
At first, the city was jointly ruled by an allied Control Council, which included representatives of all four sides. The border between the western and eastern parts of the city at first was purely arbitrary. Later, a dividing line with checkpoints appeared in its place. However, it did not extend to the entire length of the border. The crossing mode was free, residents different parts Berliners calmly moved around the city, went to visit friends and work from the western to the eastern part and vice versa.
Relations between the allies began to deteriorate very quickly. At first, they did not affect Berlin, touching only on German territories. The allies, under the pretext of more efficient economic activity, united their zones of occupation, first into Bisonia, and then Trizonia.
In 1948, a meeting of representatives of the six Western powers was held in London, which worked out mechanisms for the revival of German statehood. This was perceived with hostility in the Kremlin, and the USSR (whose representatives were not even invited) boycotted the activities in the Control Council in protest.
In the summer of the same year, the allies, without agreement with Moscow, held monetary reform in Trizonia. Since the eastern and western parts of Berlin were still economically connected at that time, in the USSR the separate monetary reform was regarded as an attempt at sabotage (the reform forced West Berliners to "dump" money in the eastern part, where old money was still in circulation) and the message was completely closed for several days between parts of the city. These events went down in history as the blockade of West Berlin and had a very negative impact on the image of the Soviet Union. Although there was no famine or even a hint of it in the western part of the city, the whole world went around the footage of "raisin bombing", when American planes parachuted sweets dropping sweets to the joyful Berlin children.
The blockade of West Berlin meant that the final disengagement was only a matter of time. In 1949, the Western Allies restored the statehood of the Germans, creating the Federal Republic of Germany.
The USSR proclaimed the GDR with a six-month delay. Shortly before his death, Stalin made a last attempt to settle the issue. He invited the Western allies to unite Germany into one state, but on the categorical condition of its neutral and non-bloc status. However, the Americans, for whom West Germany was the main outpost in Europe, they were afraid of losing control, so they agreed only on the condition that Germany could voluntarily join NATO. If, of course, she has such a desire. But the USSR could not agree to this.
Instead of rapprochement, there was a final disengagement. Germany fundamentally did not recognize the existence of the GDR, even on the maps of its territory were designated as German, but under Soviet control. West Germany automatically broke off diplomatic relations with any country that recognized the existence of the GDR until the early 1970s.
Free City of Berlin
In 1958, Nikita Khrushchev attempted to resolve the German issue. He made an offer to the Western Allies that became known as the Berlin Ultimatum. Khrushchev's idea boiled down to the following: the western part of Berlin is declared an independent free city. The allies leave the zone of occupation and transfer control under the control of an independent civilian administration. The USSR and the allies undertake not to interfere in the life of a free city, whose inhabitants themselves choose its economic and political structure. Otherwise, the USSR threatened to hand over control of the border to the GDR authorities, who would tighten it. 
The British reacted rather neutrally to Khrushchev's proposal and were ready for further discussion of the proposal on compromise terms that would suit everyone. However, the American side was strongly opposed. If this proposal was satisfied, West Berlin turned out to be an island, surrounded on all sides by the territory of the GDR. Under these conditions, its independence and economic development directly depended on East Germany and it is quite obvious that in time it would either be completely absorbed or brought under control.
Khrushchev postponed the final decision several times, trying to arrange meetings with the Western allies. But the parties did not come to a compromise. In April 1961, he announced that by the end of the year, full control of East Berlin would be transferred to the administration of the GDR.
Flight from the Republic
Fearing that communication between parts of the city would soon be cut off, many residents of the eastern part of the city decided to take the last chance to defect to the west. Escape East Germans in western part was very common from the first years of the occupation. Then communication between parts of the country was still free. From eastern zone Occupation in the western moved several hundred thousand people. A feature of this flight was that a significant part of the fugitives were highly qualified specialists. They did not want to live in the Soviet system of values with a lot of restrictions, both political and economic. 
Of course, big business also fled, the existence of which was not provided for in the Soviet system. So, almost all the factories of the Auto Union concern ended up in the Soviet zone of occupation. But all their leadership and almost all employees managed to move to the western part, where they resumed business. So the world-famous auto concern Audi appeared.
The Kremlin has been worried about the flight from the GDR for a long time. After Stalin's death, Beria offered to radically solve the German problem. But not in the way one might assume based on his image. He proposed not to hurry at all with the establishment of a socialist economy in the GDR, while retaining the capitalist one. It was also proposed to develop light industry as opposed to heavy industry (under Stalin it was the other way around). Later, at the trial, Beria was blamed for this.
Free communication between the GDR and the FRG was terminated during Stalin's lifetime, in 1952. However, these restrictions did not apply to Berlin, its inhabitants continued to move between zones. In only half of 1961, about 200 thousand inhabitants fled from East Berlin. And in last month free movement, 30 thousand people became defectors.
Start of construction
On August 12, 1961, the GDR authorities announced the closure of communications between the eastern and western parts of the city. All city communists, police officers and some employees were mobilized to guard the "border" at night. They stretched out in a human chain, not letting anyone through. Troops were stationed nearby.
The GDR authorities accused the FRG of provocations, acts of sabotage and attempts to destabilize the situation. They also expressed their indignation at the luring of East Berliners into the western sector, which led to the disruption of the economic plans of the GDR and financial damage. Under this pretext, on the night of August 13, 1961, the construction of a wall began, which divided the city into two parts.
For two days, the border guards did not let anyone through to either side. At the same time, the border line was surrounded by barbed wire. The construction of concrete barriers began only on 15 August. 
The border was completely closed, no one was supposed to leave East Berlin and get there. Even the metro and railway lines connecting the western and eastern parts of the city were blocked.
World War III is close
The construction of the Berlin Wall led to serious political crisis, which almost turned into a full-scale military clash. In response to the beginning of the construction of fortifications in the United States, a set of reservists was announced. Then, forcibly, the term of service of officers who were supposed to retire to the reserve was extended for one year. An additional one and a half thousand American soldiers were transferred to West Berlin, with the prospect of transferring a division. Separate units were put on high alert.
On August 24, the American military, supported by tanks, lined up along the wall under construction. In response, the Soviet army also canceled the transfer to the reserve. A few days later, the military contingent began to build up in the western part of the city. By October, it was additionally increased by 40,000 soldiers. An explosive situation was created that threatened to escalate into a military conflict.
The conflict came closest to the hot phase on October 26, 1961. From the side of the American checkpoint "Charlie" several bulldozers drove up to the wall under the cover of 10 tanks. The Soviet side, fearing that the Americans would try to demolish parts of the wall, sent several Soviet tanks. These events went down in history as a tank confrontation.
American and Soviet combat vehicles stood opposite each other all night without taking any action. Any careless movement could lead to the most serious consequences. Tankers stood like that for a whole day. Only on the morning of October 28 Soviet side took the cars. The Americans did the same. The threat of a military clash was temporarily over.
Anti-fascist defensive rampart
Wall in the GDR for a long time It was called the Anti-Fascist Defensive Wall. Which hinted at the need to build this fortification in order to protect against the attempts of the West German "fascists" to interfere with the people's rule in the GDR. In West Germany, for a long time it was called the Wall of Shame. This went on for 10 years. In the early 1970s, the GDR and the FRG recognized each other and a gradual process of détente began. Therefore, the naming of the wall, offensive to each other, began to disappear from official statements.
However, the wall remained and even improved. At first, these were minor fortifications. On the separate sections the matter was limited to simple Bruno spirals of barbed wire, which could be jumped over with due skill. Therefore, the main barrier functions were performed by the soldiers of the GDR army, who had the right to shoot to kill at border violators. True, this rule applied only to East Berliners. West Berliners who wanted to make their way to reverse direction, were not fired upon. Although the flight from east to west has become much more common, isolated cases of flight to opposite direction also happened.
However, most often the wall jumpers, as they were called, had no political or economic motives. Mostly they were drunk young people who, out of hooligan motives or to impress friends, climbed over the wall with a demonstration of their prowess. Most often, they were detained and, after interrogation, expelled back.
Despite the gradual rapprochement of the two Germanys, the wall soon turned into a real masterpiece of fortification. By the end of the 1970s, it had become an almost insurmountable obstacle. Seen from East Berlin, potential fugitives first had to overcome a concrete wall or barbed wire. Immediately behind them began a continuous row anti-tank hedgehogs. Having passed them, the fugitives again found themselves in front of a barbed wire fence, which was equipped with an alarm system that alerted patrols to violations of the border.
Next was the patrol zone, along which foot and car guards moved. Behind it was a barrage ditch, with a depth of three to five meters. Then followed the control-track strip of sand, which was illuminated by powerful lanterns located a few meters apart. And finally, a wall of concrete blocks 3.6 meters high, on top of which cylindrical asbestos-cement barriers were installed to prevent catching. In addition to everything, every 300 meters there were watchtowers. In some areas, even anti-tank fortifications were installed.
This is perhaps the only case in history when such a solid barrier was built to prevent the flight of its citizens, and not to protect against the intrusion of intruders.
The total length of the wall was 106 kilometers. Concrete blocks were installed along its entire length, however, it was so well reinforced only in the most potentially dangerous places. In other parts, some elements were missing. Somewhere there was no barbed wire, somewhere earthen ditches or signaling. 
The houses adjoining the border fence were initially evicted, and all windows and doors were concreted. Later they were completely demolished.
Only pensioners had the right to move freely around the city. But the economically active population of the eastern part of Berlin had to receive a special pass, which, however, did not allow permanent residence in another part of the city. Meanwhile, by the time the Berlin Wall was erected, the standard of living in the western part of Germany exceeded that of the GDR. And in the future, this gap has only increased.
The flow of fugitives with the erection of the wall thinned out, but did not dry up. The Germans went to the most incredible tricks to bypass the wall. They dug huge underground tunnels, used hang gliders to escape and Balloons. In this regard, an article was introduced into the criminal code punishing flight from the republic with imprisonment.
Destruction
The Berlin Wall lasted almost three decades. Back in the mid-80s, plans were made for its further improvement using the most modern means of signaling and surveillance. However, the beginning of the wave of velvet revolutions in Europe dramatically changed the situation. In early 1989, Hungary unilaterally opened its border with capitalist Austria. From that moment on, the wall turned into a meaningless artifact. Germans who wanted to leave for Germany simply came to Hungary and through its border got to Austria, from where they moved to the west of Germany.
The authorities of the GDR, under the influence of rapidly unfolding historical processes, were forced to yield. In November 1989, the free issuance of visas to all those wishing to visit the western part of Germany was announced. And in December, part of the wall near the Brandenburg Gate was dismantled. In fact, 1989 was the last year of the wall's existence, although it stood a little longer.
The fortification was demolished at the end of 1990 after the unification of the GDR and the FRG into one state. It was decided to preserve only a few of its small sections in memory of the symbol of the Cold War, which separated two political and economic systems for 30 years.
Berlin, the capital of Germany, arose in the first half of the 13th century. Since 1486, the city has been the capital of Brandenburg (then Prussia), since 1871 - Germany. From May 1943 to May 1945, Berlin was subjected to one of the most devastating bombings in world history. On the final stage Great Patriotic War(1941-1945) in Europe, Soviet troops completely captured the city on May 2, 1945. After the rout Nazi Germany the territory of Berlin was divided into zones of occupation: the eastern one - the USSR and the three western ones - the USA, Great Britain and France. On June 24, 1948, Soviet troops began blockade of West Berlin.
In 1948, the Western powers authorized the heads of state governments in their zones of occupation to convene a parliamentary council to draw up a constitution and prepare for the creation of a West German state. Its first meeting was held in Bonn on 1 September 1948. The constitution was adopted by the council on 8 May 1949, and on 23 May the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) was proclaimed. In response, in the eastern part controlled by the USSR, on October 7, 1949, the German Democratic Republic(GDR) and Berlin is declared its capital.
East Berlin occupied area 403 square kilometers and was the largest city in East Germany in terms of population.
West Berlin covered an area of 480 square kilometers.
At first, the border between the western and eastern parts of Berlin was open. The dividing line, 44.8 kilometers long (the total length of the border between West Berlin and the GDR was 164 kilometers), ran straight through the streets and houses, the Spree River, and canals. Officially, there were 81 street checkpoints, 13 crossings in the subway and on the city railway.
In 1957, the West German government led by Konrad Adenauer enacted the Hallstein Doctrine, which provided for an automatic break diplomatic relations with any country that recognized the GDR.
In November 1958, the head of the Soviet government, Nikita Khrushchev, accused the Western powers of violating the Potsdam Accords of 1945 and announced the abolition of Soviet Union international status of Berlin. Soviet government proposed to turn West Berlin into a "demilitarized free city" and demanded that the United States, Great Britain and France hold talks on this topic within six months ("Khrushchev's Ultimatum"). The Western powers rejected the ultimatum.
In August 1960, the government of the GDR put into effect restrictions on visits by citizens of the FRG to East Berlin. In response, West Germany abandoned the trade agreement between both parts of the country, which the GDR regarded as " economic war".
After long and difficult negotiations on January 1, 1961, the agreement was put into effect.
The situation worsened in the summer of 1961. The economic policy of the GDR, aimed at "catching up and overtaking the FRG", and a corresponding increase production standards, economic difficulties, forced collectivization of 1957-1960, more high level wages in West Berlin encouraged thousands of citizens of the GDR to leave for the West.
In 1949-1961, almost 2.7 million people left the GDR and East Berlin. Almost half of the refugee flow consisted of young people under the age of 25. Every day, about half a million people crossed the borders of the Berlin sectors in both directions, who could compare living conditions here and there. In 1960 alone, about 200,000 people moved to the West.
At a meeting of the general secretaries of the communist parties of the socialist countries on August 5, 1961, the GDR received the necessary consent Eastern European countries, and on August 7, at a meeting of the Politburo of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED - East German Communist Party), it was decided to close the border of the GDR with West Berlin and the FRG. On August 12, a corresponding resolution was adopted by the Council of Ministers of the GDR.
In the early morning of August 13, 1961, temporary barriers were erected on the border with West Berlin, and a cobblestone pavement was dug up on the streets connecting East Berlin with West Berlin. The forces of the people's and transport police units, as well as combat workers' teams, interrupted transport connection at the boundaries between sectors. Under the strict guard of the GDR border guards, East Berlin builders set about replacing the barbed wire border fences with concrete slabs and hollow bricks. The complex of border fortifications also included residential buildings on Bernauer Strasse, where sidewalks now belong to the West Berlin district of Wedding, and houses on south side streets - to the East Berlin district of Mitte. Then the government of the GDR ordered the doors of the houses and the windows of the lower floors to be walled up - residents could only get into their apartments through the entrance from the courtyard, which belonged to East Berlin. A wave of forced eviction of people from apartments began not only on Bernauer Strasse, but also in other border zones.
From 1961 to 1989, on many stretches of the border, the Berlin Wall was rebuilt several times. At first it was built of stone, and then was replaced by reinforced concrete. In 1975, the last reconstruction of the wall began. The wall was built from 45,000 concrete blocks measuring 3.6 by 1.5 meters, which were rounded at the top to make it difficult to escape. Outside the city, this front barrier also included metal bars.
By 1989, the total length of the Berlin Wall was 155 kilometers, the inner city border between East and West Berlin was 43 kilometers, the border between West Berlin and the GDR (outer ring) was 112 kilometers. Closest to West Berlin, the front concrete barrier wall reached a height of 3.6 meters. It encircled the entire western sector of Berlin.
The concrete fence stretched for 106 kilometers, the metal one for 66.5 kilometers, the earthen ditches had a length of 105.5 kilometers, and 127.5 kilometers were under tension. Near the wall, as on the border, a control and trail strip was made.
Despite tough measures against "illegal border crossing" attempts, people continued to escape "over the wall" using sewer pipes, technical means constructing digs. During the years of the wall's existence, about 100 people died trying to overcome it.
The democratic changes that began in the late 1980s in the life of the GDR and other countries of the socialist community sealed the fate of the wall. On November 9, 1989, the new government of the GDR announced an unhindered transition from East to West Berlin and a free return back. About 2 million inhabitants of the GDR visited West Berlin during November 10-12. Immediately began the spontaneous dismantling of the wall. The official dismantling was carried out in January 1990, part of the wall was left as a historical monument.
On October 3, 1990, after the accession of the GDR to the FRG, the status of the federal capital in the united Germany passed from Bonn to Berlin. In 2000, the government moved from Bonn to Berlin.
The material was prepared on the basis of information from open sources
