| Berlin Wall Historical Overview |
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Berlin Wall Historical Overview History of The Berlin Wall
After the end of World War II Germany 1945, a decision by the Jaltakonferenz into four occupation zones by the Allied States United States, Soviet Union, Britain and France were controlled and managed. Analog was Berlin as the former imperial capital divided into four sectors. Shortly afterwards began at various levels of the Cold War between West and East. Berlin has become a key area of mutual spying by intelligence services from East and West. 1948 occurred during the Cold War with the Berlin blockade of the Soviet Union to a first major crisis. On 23 May 1949 was in the three western zones, the Federal Republic of Germany and 7 October of the same year the Soviet occupation zone (SBZ), the GDR was founded. Formally, Berlin had concerning the status of a demilitarized Four German military sector and the city was independent of the two German states, but in practice had little significance - West Berlin approached in much the status of a federal country and was approved by federal German side also regarded as such [2], but was later under the relaxation of the policy and Ostverträge waived, in West Berlin meetings of the German Bundestag, the Bundesrat and the Federal Assembly to be held. East Berlin was the founding of the GDR capital contrary, the propagandistic title capital of the GDR was, however, until later. In the summer of 1945, demarcation lines between the zones of occupation, the so-called "border zone" withdrawn. Partially were hit trees and white-yellow wooden pillars built on trees and colorization made. It was now a permit is needed to the zone to exceed the limit, only for commuters and farmers was a small frontier traffic. On the orders of Soviet military administration in Germany (SMAD) was in the SBZ a border police structure which, at 1 December 1946 was the first time actively, provisions for the use of firearms has been adopted. For travel between the SBZ and the Western zones had now Inter-zone passes are requested. First border fortifications were erected on the east side, especially in wooded areas barbed wire barriers to cross-border roads and paths roadblocks. Since the establishment of the East German citizens fled in growing numbers in the Federal Republic, including extraordinary and often life-threatening flight opportunities have been taken. Since 1952, the inner-German border by the GDR through fences, surveillance and alarm devices secured. It was five kilometers wide restricted zone, which only with a special permit - typically for residents - are allowed to enter. In the direction of the border, there was again a 500 meter wide belts, to be directly on the border a ten-meter wide strip control of views. Since 1952, there were also reflections of the SED leadership, the border to West Berlin abzuriegeln, one was missing but an agreement of the Soviet Union, on the other hand, would be sealed off from traffic for technical reasons hardly have been possible: Before the completion of the Berlin outer ring, a ring railway to West Berlin around, was the GDR Reichsbahn on journeys through West Berlin instructed.  The 45.1 km [4] as long border city border between West Berlin and East
Berlin, which was difficult to control and how a loophole was,
therefore, initially remained open. Between 1949 and 1961 left around
2.6 million citizens of the GDR and East Berlin, of whom fled alone in
1961 in the first two weeks of August 47,433 GDR citizens. Also, many
Poles and Czechs West Berlin, a gateway to the West. Since these are
often well-educated young people involved, this exodus threatened the
economic strength of East Germany and ultimately the stock of the
state. Some 50,000 East Berliners also worked as a so-called frontier
in West Berlin, but lived and lived to the financially advantageous
conditions in East Berlin in Berlin or the surrounding areas. On 4
August 1961 was the frontier by decree by the East Berlin magistrate
instructed to register and rents and lettings in the future D-mark to
pay. Even before Wall controlled the People's Police in the eastern
part of Berlin in the western part of the city and roads leading
transportation intensely suspicious of so-called "Republic of refugees"
and "smugglers". Also bought a lot of West Berlin and West Berlin
working East Berlin, with the exchange on the Blackmarket favorable
bartered Mark of the GDR - approximately 1:4 exchange rate - the
comparatively cheap basic foodstuffs and the few high-quality consumer
goods in East Berlin. The planned economy system to Business east side,
this has also weakened. The wall should be the leaders of the bloc to
ensure that colloquially known as "vote with their feet" away from the
"Socialist Workers and Farmers' state ', finally sealed the borders to
stop.
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The Berlin Wall, the East German propaganda euphemistically referred to
as "anti-fascist protective wall" and "fortified border state" means,
was about 28 years a part of the inner-German border. They separated,
13 August 1961 until 9 November 1989 within the four-city west sector
of East Berlin and the surrounding area throughout Berlin in the GDR.
She was one of the most striking symbols of the East-West conflict and
the division of Germany. In the experiments, the 167.8 km-long [1]
heavily guarded border and installations in the direction of West
Berlin to overcome, many people have been killed. The exact number of
victims of the wall is controversial and not secured, it is based on
current research from 125 to 206 deaths.
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