45 Years Since the Berlin Wall Was Erected on August 13, 1961

Berlin Wall Online ^

[ReleaseTheHounds]

On August 13, 1961 the Berlin Wall was erected and devided the city of Berlin for more than 28 years. The photographs shown on this page were taken by unknown photographers in the sixties after building up the wall.

[ReleaseTheHounds]

Gee, I wonder if there will be any attention paid in the MSM to this historic anniversary: 45 years since the Berlin Wall was erected. Also, if you explore this website, and look at some of the brief highlights, you'd hardly know that Ronald Reagan led the fight to transcend communism and the Soviet Union and that his speech at the Vanderberg Gate in 1987 calling for Mr. Gorbachev to "tear down this wall!" may have had something to do with the ultimate outcome.

On this link: http://www.dailysoft.com/berlinwall/history/index.htm you see the "highlights" as reported on the website. The wall went up and the wall came down... now how did that happen?

[Bogtrotter52]

One thing for sure. You can never get a lib to admit that Reagan had anything to do with the wall coming down. As a member of the duck & cover under the school desk generation I found the events of the Reagan years to be momentous

[Tijeras_Slim]

I never though I would live to see the day it came down.

[RightWhale]

The differences between East and West Berlin were startling. The Wall was mainly a curiosity as seen from the West, but the East was feeling really cut off.

[1rudeboy]

Here is a photo if the portion of the Berlin Wall at the Reagan Library. I'd tell everybody to send it to their lib friends, but most libs would probably just genuflect before it.

[proudofthesouth]

I had relatives living in both East and West Berlin. The difference between the two cities was like night and day.

[RightWhale]

When I went into East Berlin a guard asked if I had any real news. Other people made jokes about Communism. It was like they were in prison, many of them. Not all, many just shrug their shoulders wherever they are.

[04-Bravo]

I was stationed in West Berlin in the 1970's. I have to admit, I didn't think I would see the wall come down in my lifetime.

President Reagan was a great man.

[ReleaseTheHounds]

First of all, a correction: Brandenberg Gate...

Also one other point: the East Germans started constructing the wall at midnight on that Sunday (Aug. 13) -- this would have been happening around 6 PM here in the US. I believe President Kennedy was up at Hyanisport so I guess he couldn't have been expected to respond. By Monday morning, the wall was a fact. But let's not forget that inspiring "Ich bin ein Berliner" speech...

[ReleaseTheHounds]

I agree... I always knew that our system would prevail but I didn't expect to see the wall or the Soviet Union fall in our lifetime -- and Reagan-Thatcher-The Pope made it happen without a shot being fired. And then all the Dems in Congress came piling in around 1990 claiming "they always supported the effort" against the Soviets. Yeah: right!

[proudofthesouth]

I have to admit, I didn't think I would see the wall come down in my lifetime.

Neither did I.

[GeorgefromGeorgia]

I first traveled to Germany in 1982 on vacation, and flew to Berlin. I took a tour of West Berlin, and another one of East Berlin. The difference was stark. Going through Checkpoint Charlie was interesting, the E.German tour guide (probably member of the Stasi) warned us not to take photos of the East side of the wall. I did, in secret anyway. He tried to justify the wall as necessary to protect the two great alliances from attacking each other. You could see the crosses on the West side of the many people that died trying to escape the large prison of the DDR.
Later, while in the Army Reserve was able to see the international boundary at the Fulda gap, with the East Germany mines that killed anyone trying to climb the fence and my watchtowers.
From 1987-91, I lived in Augsburg and traveled all over the southern half of Germany and eventually Poland, Czech Republic, and DDR (bus tour in October of 1989). Solidarity was openly operating by 89 and had control of the Polish Parliament, but Jareliski was still Pres. All the Poles we met spat in disdain about Communism and the Soviets. Freedom was in the air. When the wall came down, it was electric. However, DDR refugees to the West had a hard time adjusting. They would get jobs and could not understand why they had to work more than a couple of hours a day.

Freedom should never be taken for granted. I like the motto of NH "Live Free or Die."

[Nip]

I wonder what the “other side” of the Berlin Wall looks like. The side you photographed was the West German side and was used as a mural painted in bright colors and fanciful objects.

Does the East German side have anything painted on it? Or is it just a cold utilitarian piece of concrete?

If so, then a side-by-side picture of the two sides of that piece of the Berlin Wall offer a clear illustration of the differences between East and West Germany 1945 - 1989. And, by implication, the differences between Capitalism and Socialism.

Thanks for the photo.

[1rudeboy]

I think you can safely assume the other side has nothing on it. I don't think E. Germans were allowed to come-up to the wall, and even if they had, any graffiti would likely be painted over.

[RightWhale]

I went through Checkpoint Charlie once just because it was already famous. The other times I went through other places on foot. Probably could have walked to Moscow without much trouble. There was no trouble, nobody wanted that, but sometimes the jackbooted thugs would hold us for an hour just for the annoyance factor. When we refused to show annoyance they would give up and let us pass. The US Customs between Canada and the US tried that once: amateurs.

[proudofthesouth]

Because my Mom was born and raised on what became the East Germany side of the wall (she escaped right after WWII and later became a U.S. citizen) she was held and harrassed the couple of times she went to visit relatives in East Berlin and wasn't allowed to go any further eastward than that. Each time she was held for about 12 hours with the East German guards telling her that they could do to her what they wanted to including make her disappear. They wouldn't allow her to make any phone calls whatsoever.

[2Fro]

I served in the U S Army in Germany during the late Fifties, before The Wall was erected. I always believed that men would travel in space and land on the moon and other planets, but I NEVER believed The Wall would come down. I was absolutely speechless at the news of its fall. Hail Ronald Reagan for this--one of his greatest accomplishments!

[sine_nomine]

Many younger students have great admiration for President Reagan. The Left was never able to block his obvious gifts for leadership and telegenic charm.

[WIladyconservative]

I was in Germany and Austria in September of 1989. Whilst in Austria the papers began reporting that Hungary was rolling up the barbed wire fences at their border and the Austrians were sure they were going to be militarily invaded.

Instead (almost immediately) the trains from Hungary to Austria were full of Hungarians running from Hungary since no one knew how long the open borders would last.

I was home in December of 89 when the historic wall coverage began. It was pretty exciting to watch the "end" of what had started when I was in situ.

[xarmydog]

I served a tour of Germany during the mid-seventies.Spent many months in the Fulda gap area.We would watch the guards on the East German side watching us.Sometimes on foot patrol,the East Germans would pass by very close.One of the things they used to do was leave a field jacket with cigs,and other various items loaded in the pockets,hanging in an obvious place.When we would find it,we would leave a field jacket full of our things to replace it.They really enjoyed the trade off,as the items they would leave were not of a very good quality but we knew it was more than likely,the best they had to offer.We were not supposed to do this,but we figured it couldn't hurt.Sometimes they would leave notes inquiring about news events.My take on some of the notes was they were very unhappy.I am sure there are other soldiers out there with similar experiences.