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History of the Berlin Wall
| 2009-10-19 Germany’s surrender in 1945 meant radical change for Berlin, on a scale that was unimaginable at the end of the war. This important centre for international trade was, at that time, a strategic element in world politics. The Cold War The city was divided into four zones of occupation: the East was under Soviet control whilst the Western districts were split into three sectors governed by the Americans, French and British. It was not long before political and administrative disagreements between the USSR and the Allies became apparent. After walking out of the Allied Control Council, the USSR left the Kommandantura on 16th June 1948; on 24th June, access to West Berlin by land and river was blocked by the Russians. The Allies then set up an airlift enabling the city to be supplied during the 11-month blockade. On 23rd May 1949 the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) was founded, followed by the German Democratic Republic (GDR) on 7th October. This was not, of course, without consequences for Berlin. The Basic Law (Grundgesetz) made the Berlin agglomeration a Land of the FRG, whilst the Constitution of the GDR claimed the city as its capital, both referring to Berlin as a whole. In practice, a tripartite administration was set up in the Western sectors, whilst the Soviet Union found itself alone in the East. The construction of the Wall On 17th June 1953, a strike against excessive work rates in East Berlin was suppressed by Soviet tanks. Increasing numbers of people were leaving the GDR throughout the 1950s. Up until the construction of the Wall, 3 million men and women left East Germany. In November 1958, Khrushchev issued an ultimatum: the Western powers had six months to withdraw their troops and accept the transformation of West Berlin into an independent political unit; the West let the ultimatum expire without doing anything. In 1961, Moscow once again threatened to settle the “West Berlin problem” within a year. The American president Kennedy retaliated with the “Three Essentials”: defence of the Western presence, safeguarding the right of access, and self-determination for the inhabitants of West Berlin with a guarantee of freedom of choice in their way of life; no mention was made of the inhabitants of East Berlin. Early in the morning of Sunday 13th August 1961, the paving from the streets linking East to West was taken up and a provisional barrier made of posts, barbed wire and ditches, under high surveillance, was erected along the border with West Berlin; it was replaced shortly afterwards by a wall cutting right through the city. The border between the sectors became the only crossing point between East and West. The construction of this Wall, which remained a memorable event for all Berliners, also symbolised the consolidation of the spheres of power in Europe. In 1963,Kennedy, during a long-awaited visit to Berlin, ended his speech in front of the Schöneberg town hall with the famous sentence: “Ich bin ein Berliner.” In December 1963, after 28 months of total separation, a permit agreement was concluded, allowing the inhabitants of West Berlin into the East for 18 days. The thaw of the 1970s Until the Four Power Agreement of 1971, the Transit Agreement and the Basic Treaty of 1972 came into force, and even thereafter, the question of Berlin’s status remained problematic. With the Basic Treaty, the Federal Republic finally recognised the GDR as a German State. In return, it obtained a guarantee of the status quo of West Berlin, even though this part of the city was not to be considered an integral part of the FRG. It was also stated that contact between the Western sectors and the Federal Republic must be maintained and even increased, hence the installation of federal authorities on the spot. In actual fact, nothing really changed, but there was, at last, a clearly defined legal basis of reference. Chancellor Willy Brandt (FRG) and the chairman of the Council of State Erich Honecker (GDR) pursued a policy of rapprochement (Ostpolitik): the GDR simplified permits for cross-border travel and allowed West Germans to stay briefly in border regions. Parallel development In West and East, town planning was at the heart of political discussions. The division meant recreating the institutions and establishments that were missing in both parts of the city as quickly as possible. The area around the Kaiser Wilhelm Gedächtniskirche (Memorial Church) became the centre of West Berlin, and Alexanderplatz the focus of the renovation of the city centre in the East. So both parts were transformed – aided by heavy subsidies – into showcases of their respective political systems. Despite everything, on both sides, a certain “normality” took hold in the life of most Berliners. The fall of the Wall In 1987, Berlin celebrated its 750th anniversary. The American president Ronald Reagan uttered these words during a speech in front of the Brandenburg Gate: “Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate, Mr. Gorbachev tear down this wall.” In the East, the celebration turned violent when the police drove away youngsters listening, near the Wall, to a rock concert organised in the west. After the local elections in May 1989, an unusual and very violent resistance movement stirred up East Berlin and the GDR, with civil rights defenders rebelling against accusations of vote rigging. The first demonstrations took place against the political system of the SED. Facilitated by the removal of the border fence between Hungary and Austria, increasing numbers of East Germans left. FRG embassies in socialist “brother countries” were occupied by refugees wishing to obtain exit visas. On 7th October, amid heavy security, the GDR celebrated its 40th anniversary in East Berlin; however, Erich Honecker had to abandon the SED just 12 days later, after 18 years at its helm. On 4th November, over half a million men and women gathered together in Alexanderplatz to demand democratic reforms and the end of SED domination. During a press conference on 9th November, Günther Schabowski, a member of the SED politburo, announced new travel regulations authorising travel abroad without preconditions, special authorisation or family connections. When asked when these new regulations were to come into force, he replied: “Right away. Immediately.” Once the news spread, applicants flocked to the border crossings, taken by surprise. First, the barriers were opened at the Bornholmer Straße checkpoint and a great number of East Berliners made a brief foray into the West. An immense wave of euphoria flooded the city, bordering on general chaos. Berliners, armed with hammers and chisels, began to chip away at the Wall. The famous cellist Rostropovich, who had had to go into exile in the West, came to play at the foot of the Wall to encourage the demolishers (called Mauerspechte, “Wall woodpeckers”). New border crossings were opened as the weeks went by, and the opening of the Brandenburg Gate on 22nd December 1989 was particularly symbolic. |
