For 28 years the Berlin Wall separated germany. After the second World War in 1945, the victorious Allies: the US, great britain, France and the ussr divided Germany into four sectors, each under the control of an ally. The US, British, and French Sectors were combined to form a democratic state, The Federal Republic of Germany, or West Germany. The Soviet sector became a communist state, The German Democratic Republic, or East Germany, on October 7, 1949.

A barrier now separated east and West. winston churchill named this barrier 'the Iron Curtain'. Even though berlin lay deep within the Soviet sector, the Allies thought it best to divide this metropolis. Therefore Berlin was also divided into four sectors. Again the US, British, and French Sectors combined to form West Berlin. The Soviet sector became the East German capital, East Berlin.

The Berlin Wall, though not part of the iron curtain, was a reminder of it. The wall was made of steel, cement, and barbed wire. There were guard towers with machine guns and other weapons. It was almost impossible to cross this barrier without the communist government's permission. a lot of people tried to escape to west germany to flee from the communist dictatorship and extreme poverty..

On September 20, 1961, the GDR began to construct a more permanent concrete wall. When completed the wall was 166 kilometers long, and an average of four meters high, topped with concrete tubing and barbed wire.

During the twenty eight years the wall was standing, over five thousand people tried to escape. Over 100 died in the attempt. most were shot by the GRD border guards.

The beginning of the end of the German Democratic Republic and the Berlin Wall was when Hungary (another communist state) opened its doors to the west. Migration between Communist states was unrestricted, therefore, East Germans would go from East Germany to Hungary and from there to the west.

On November 9, 1989 the leader of the East Berlin communist party, Gunter Schabowski, announced that the boarder with West Berlin would be opened for private trips abroad. Wall woodpeckers started to use hammers and chisels to knock out pieces of the wall. Shortly thereafter, a massive emigration of East berliners to West Berlin began.

There were mass celebrations at the important places in both cities, including the Brandenberg Gate and Kurfstendam in West Berlin. On November 10, 1989 and later on December 22, 1989 checkpoints were opened for pedestrians at Potsdamer Platz and the Brandenberg Gate. Finally on July 1, 1990 East and Wast Germany were united. They assumed West Gernamy's old name, 'The Federal Republic of Germany'. The entire wall was taken down except for the areas of historical importance.