Скачать или смотреть 13th August 1961: East Germany begins to construct the Berlin Wall separating from West Berlin

The border between East and West Germany had been closed since 1952 although the crossing between East and West Berlin remained open. This easy access proved highly problematic for the communist government of East Germany, since many people who compared the two parts of the city found West Berlin to be much more appealing.

Berlin became a focal point for East Germans who wanted to move to the West, and by 1961 an estimated 20% of the entire population had emigrated. The majority were young, educated, and skilled professionals. This so-called ‘brain drain’ seriously depleted the workforce, and was hugely damaging to the political credibility of East Germany.

The erection of the Berlin Wall was intended to put a stop both of these problems, although it was presented to the East German people as the ‘Anti-Fascist Protection Rampart’. The East German leader, Walter Ulbricht, had even denied any intention of building a wall just two months earlier despite pressuring USSR Premier Nikita Khrushchev to support him doing just that.

Over the following years the barbed wire and mesh barrier that was constructed overnight was gradually replaced with a virtually impregnable ring of reinforced concrete that ran 155km around West Berlin.

The construction of the Wall turned Berlin from the easiest way to cross between East and West into the most difficult. It cut people off from their jobs, and divided families. The crossing was not opened again to unrestricted access for 28 years.