Berlin Wall 20th Anniversary Celebrated World Wide

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton joins world leaders in Berlin On Monday, Clinton met Chancellor Angela Merkel, the first German leader to have grown up behind the Wall in communist East Germany.

The construction of the Berlin Wall began in earnest in 1961. Prior to that there were attempts to restrict travel and in 1946 travel restrictions were introduced for movement between the Soviet and Western administered sectors in Germany.

By 1949, The German Democratic Republic was declared in East Berlin, formalizng the separation that had been established in the aftermath of the war.

Here is a timeline showing the construction of the Berlin Wall that started as a barbed wire fence:

August 13, 1961: The border between East and West Berlin is closed and a long-planned Soviet operation to divide the city swings into action. The day begins with the border being sealed by Communist troops. Meanwhile, "shock workers" are deployed to construct a barbed wire barrier across the border. 24 hours later, their task is complete, and what will become the Berlin Wall is in place.

August 14, 1961: The Brandenburg Gate is closed and is not reopened for 28 years.

August 15, 1961: Concrete blocks are moved into place, beginning the construction of a more permanent structure. As the intentions of the authorities become clear, the first escape to the West takes place when East German border guard Conrad Schumann jumps the barbed wire.

August 16, 1961: The use of concrete blocks is extended, creating a wall two metres high that splits families and couples across East and West. Meanwhile, the temporary barbed wire barriers are removed. The wall is here to stay.

An article on Reuters.com cites a study published this year, at least 136 people were killed at the Berlin Wall between 1961 and 1989 while trying to escape. Thousands of others managed to evade the minefields, guard dogs and watchtowers, using schemes including tunnels, aerial wires and hidden compartments in cars to make it to the West.

Thousands of tourists are in Berlin to mark the event. Ex-Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev and Polish Solidarity union leader Lech Walesa, are also taking part in commemorations.

A two-paged advertisement in a German paper features Gorbachev, ex-chancellor Helmut Kohl and former U.S. President George Bush Senior, who led their countries in November 1989.

"No wall is ever strong enough to strangle the human spirit," Bush said in a comment alongside a photo of the three.

The US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, has urged Europeans and Americans to see the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall as a call to joint action against new global threats.

Written by Cheryl Phillips
HULIQ.com

sources: Reuters, CNN, aljazeera.net