Dec 27, 2009

Oxford Dictionary of World History | Berlin Wall

Berlin Wall
A barrier between East and West Berlin. It was built by the German Democratic Republic in August 1961 in order to stem the flow of refugees from East Germany to the West: over three million had emigrated between 1945 and 1961 . The Wall was heavily guarded and many people, especially in the 1960s, were killed or wounded while attempting to cross. As a result of popular protests, it was demolished in 1989 .