When Was the Berlin Wall Knocked Down?

For decades, the Cold War raged and the Berlin Wall divided the East from the West. The wall was erected to block free passage between East and West Berlin and it remained in place for a long time as controversy raged over ideological differences.

The Russian government issued a press announcement as to the state of affairs in Russia, and a press secretary announcing the decision misread the press release and announced that the borders of East Berlin were to be opened without travel restrictions. After the pullout of Russian backing, the East German government opened the gates to allow traffic to move freely throughout the two halves of the country in hopes of defusing the rising tensions in the country.

The day following the opening of the borders, people began to show up at the wall with picks and hammers, chipping away at the wall.  The wall was completely knocked down by July 1990.

A few sections of the wall have been turned into a memorial. A park along the demarcation line where the wall stood has been dedicated to the memory of the Berlin Wall and the events that surrounded its existence. Since the fall of the wall, Germany has reunited as a single country and is no longer separated.

Berlin After World War II

Following WWII, the city of Berlin was occupied by the Allied forces. Each of the four military powers were responsible for the rule of law in a section of the city. The Communists controlled the section that became known as East Berlin.

Many people commuted between the two sides of the city. They worked on one side and lived on the other. Unfortunately, during the Cold War, ideologies clashed and people were divided. The philosophies of capitalism and communism could not co-exist and the superpowers of the world were in a struggle for dominance.

Many workers feared the rumors of the coming regime and the spread of Communism in East Berlin and began to flee to the West to make new lives in a land of freedom.

To stop the flow of vital workers from the East, the border was closed and a wall was erected to permanently divide the city. Some people lost their jobs and businesses, while others were separated from their family and friends.

The Construction of the Wall

The wall had been constructed virtually overnight when, in a bold move, the Russian backed East German government closed down the border to prevent the escape of the highly educated and technical workers to the West.

After August 13, 1961, Germany became completely separated countries of East Germany and West Germany. The borders were closed to almost all traffic. Tight controls were implemented and the Wall was constructed to help keep East Germans from crossing into West Germany. The wall was manned 24/7 by both dogs and East German Army personnel.

The wall stood for almost forty years, separating Germany into two parts... so when was the Berlin Wall knocked down? When things began to change. 

Social Reform

The wall began to collapse when things began to shift in Russia. During the social reform period of Russia, the central committee was becoming weaker and President Gorbachev was losing his grip on the country and its lawmakers.

During this time, Russia’s economy was failing and people were going hungry. In an attempt to salvage his failing country, Gorbachev declared that Russia was no longer going to support their satellite neighbors.

The policies of perestroika and glasnost that had been initiated by Gorbachev were serving to destabilize the Eastern Block and Mother Russia due to the growing freedom of the populace.

The increased freedom of the press and realigning of the economy with capitalist ideals was not enough to save the failing government, however.

As the Cold War was ending and the government of Russia was breaking apart, there were many changes taking place in the satellite countries that Russia had collected around itself. The satellite countries were also referred to as the Eastern Block countries and included Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Romania, Bulgaria and East Germany.

The Communist governments within these countries were becoming less stable as the support of the Russian Central government began withdrawn and weakening.