Berlin Wall Anniversary: Willy Brandt's Role in Calming Masses
On August 13, 1961, the Berlin Wall was erected, completely separating East and West Berlin, and was completed with a death strip featuring watchtowers and armed East German soldiers. The author, a ninth-grader at a Berlin high school at the time, recounts his experiences from the West side, including the wall's construction, daily life afterward, and its fall in 1989. The East German leadership had sought to seal off West Berlin as early as 1952 but lacked Soviet approval. A new situation arose when Nikita Khrushchev, who had been Chairman of the CPSU since 1953, attempted to resolve the 'German question' with his Berlin Ultimatum in 1958. The article, published in the current issue of Der Freitag, reflects on the 65th anniversary of the wall's construction and the role of Willy Brandt in calming the masses during that tense period.
Key facts
- The Berlin Wall was erected on August 13, 1961, dividing East and West Berlin.
- The wall included a death strip with watchtowers and armed East German soldiers.
- The author was a ninth-grader at a Berlin high school in August 1961.
- The author lived in West Berlin and reports from that perspective.
- The wall fell in 1989.
- The East German leadership had sought to seal off West Berlin in 1952 but lacked Soviet approval.
- Nikita Khrushchev issued the Berlin Ultimatum in 1958 to resolve the 'German question'.
- The article appears in the current issue of Der Freitag.
Entities
Institutions
- Der Freitag
- CPSU
Locations
- Berlin
- Germany
- East Berlin
- West Berlin