The Berlin Wall
The 155-kilometer concrete wall that East Germany built through Berlin in 1961 to stop its citizens from fleeing west — and that came down on November 9, 1989, ending the Cold War's central image.
Origin
From 1949, divided Berlin was the leak point of the Iron Curtain — anyone in East Germany could take the U-Bahn to the western sectors and walk into the free world. By 1961 the GDR had lost an estimated 3.5 million people that way. On August 13, 1961, East German troops began stringing barbed wire down the boundary; the concrete wall followed. At least 140 people died trying to cross it over the next 28 years. On November 9, 1989, after weeks of mounting protests and a confused press conference, East German officials announced that border crossings were now open. Crowds tore the wall down with hammers; reunification followed within a year.
Modern usage
'Tear down this wall' (Reagan, Brandenburg Gate, June 1987) is one of the most-quoted Cold War lines. November 9, 1989 is the canonical 'the world changed overnight' date. The wall is the standard reference for any divisive barrier — physical or metaphorical. Pieces of the wall are sold as souvenirs and displayed in museums and embassies worldwide.
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