History of Berlin Wall

After World War II's end in Europe (1945), Germany was divided into four sectors, each one controlled by one of the Allied Powers, which included the Americans, French, British, and the Soviet Union. Conflict between the Soviets and the other powers split Germany in half, the East and the West, even splitting the country's capital, Berlin into East and West Berlin.

Soviet leader Joseph Stalin, who occupied the eastern side of Germany, prevented foreign help from other nations to fly into West Germany with supplies, the Berlin Blockade. Other nations wanted to help, so the Berlin Airlift was devised.

In the 1950s, West Germany benefited from economic success, so East Germans were looking to live in West Germany.

Construction of the 87 mile long Berlin Wall started in 1961, funded by the GDR and closing crossing points. Many Berliners were cut off from jobs. Money changed, the economies changed, and ideas changed between the two sides. The rift between East and West Germany remained, that rift separating families. Several died trying to cross the wall.

President Kennedy and President Reagan pleaded with the GDR to take down the wall.

Under international pressure, the GDR allowed travel between the two sides in 1989. In 1990, the Wall of Berlin fell.

Sources: Wikipedia, Cold War Flies, New York Times, German Missions in the United States

by Brigette W.

A Visual Story of the Fall of the Berlin Wall

On November 9, 2009, was the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. The wall was knocked down at the end of the cold war. The wall was about 100 miles long, and about 136 people died trying to cross it.

I got these photos from The New York Times and Google images.

The New York Times ran a special interactive package in which people could submit their own photos from the fall of the wall.

Read Brigette's story about the history of the wall.

The Making of the Berlin Wall

Construction of the Berlin Wall started on August 13, 1961, which fell twenty years ago and was anywhere from 20 to 100 feet some places.

The wall had a lot of security. It had a watchtower, and everything from spike mats and vehicle ditches to, to tank traps.

This graphic from The New York Times show that the Berlin Wall was no regular wall.

Below are some close-ups that I found interesting.

Photo Essay: The Fall of the Berlin Wall

Student Assignment: Julian F.

Write an introduction -- at least five sentences -- to your photo essay. You are creating the photo essay because Monday was the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. Use this link for background.

Remember to pick appropriate music for your video. Remember your audience — your parents, friends, and teachers.

Go to http://animoto.com/

Click on the "Sign In" button in the upper-right-hand corner.
Email: laura_moorhead@mindspring.com
Password: Hillwood

You both will need to pace yourselves with this assignment — do not spend too much time listening to music or selecting images. There will be time to play with the program later.

Photo from The New York Times.

The Making of the Berlin Wall

Student Assignment: Zack

Take a close look at The New York Times' interactive graphic about the making of the Berlin Wall.

Write a news story that discusses both the graphic and the Berlin Wall. Tell readers how it was made and what you find surprising about it.

Remember to answer the five W's of any news story.

The Fall of the Wall: The Berlin Wall 20 Years Later

Just before midnight on Nov. 9, 1989, the Berlin Wall — the concrete structure — that divided East and West Berlin started to crumble. The end of the Berlin Wall symbolized the end of communism and the Cold War.

Tell readers about the Berlin Wall -- what it was, how it came to be, and what it symbolizes now.

You are writing a news story about the event and why it still matters. Remember to answer the five W's to a newstory.

Also, look at the following sites for background. Consider linking to them from your story.

• The Fall of the Wall, The Cold War Files / Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars
• Freedom Without Walls: Fall of the Berlin Wall, German Missions in the United States
• A before-and-after look, from The New York Times
• Slideshow, from The New York Times
• History of the wall, from Wikipedia
  

Source material: The New York Times