Berlin as a divided townSynopsis

1) First impressions2) 1945-49: after world war II, divide of Germany3) 1949-61: The (Re-)construction of two Berlins4) 1961: Construction of the wall5) 1961-89: Life with the wall, Escapes,

Development until 19896) 1989: Fall of the Berlin Wall7) 1989 until today: After the fall

2) 1945-49: after word war II, divide of Germany

- after german capitualtion in Mai 1945, Germany is occupied by the Allies

- Potsdam Conference: - major aims: Demilitarisation, De-

Nazification, Democratisation, Decentralisation, Disassemblement (5 D´s)- every power can do his own policy in zone

2) 1945-49: after word war II, divide of Germany

- The Allies start to split up:- Soviet political acts without other allies

- Truman-Doctrine: anticommunist and antisoviet- different policies in zones: Disassemblement and Marshall-Plan/ communistic and capitalistic

- two german states are founded in 1949: FRG and GDR

- Cold war/ East-West-Conflict starts

3) 1949-61: The (Re-)construction of two Berlins

3) 1949-61: The (Re-)construction of two Berlins

- Berlin lies within the Soviet Sector- 1948 starts the Berlin Blockade

„Candy Bomber“

3) 1949-61: The (Re-)construction of two Berlins

- the development of the two states is different

- GDR´s econmy stucks under Disassemblement

- FRG´s econmy grows with Marshall Plan

- GDR´s population is discontent

- Upspring from June 17 1953

- mass emigration (3.5 Mio until 1961)

- Berlin Crisis 1958-1961

4) 1961: Construction of the wall

- due to US-Military increase and GDR´s political/ economical/ socially crisis GDR and Soviet leaders see only one option: sealing off the sector border

- in the night to August 13 1961 the wall is started to be build

„No one has the intention of building a wall.“

4) 1961: Construction of the wall

- except of 13 (later 7) crossing points West-Berlin is sealed off- 10.000 Soldiers and border guards ensure the constrution- except of about 100 party members no one knew of the construction- train service is interrupted - houses on the border are evacuated

5) 1961-89: Life with the wall, Escapes, Development until 1989

- crossing the border from east to west is forbidden by death

- emigration decreases dramatically

- 1961-1989: 40.101 (5.075 in Berlin) escapes, many spectecular

- more than 130 people are killed at the Berlin Wall

- until 1989 the barriers are continuousely improved

5) 1961-89: Life with the wall, Escapes, Development until 1989

- with the construction of the wall GDR´s existence is secured - policy changes to détente and acceptance- Treaty of Warsaw and Four Power Agreement- state visits to the wall (e.g. Khrushchev and Kennedy)

5) 1961-89: Life with the wall, Escapes, Development until 1989

- from 1971 (Honecker era) GDR´s Social Policy improves while FRG´s economy stucks

- wall opens for vistors to the east and becomes lucrative

- at the same time expands the Ministry for State Security

- east-west-relations worsen at the end of the 70s

- at the same time GDR´s economy is in a big crisis

- more and more people apply for emegration and are allowed to go, though confronted with huge problems

5) 1961-89: Life with the wall, Escapes, Development until 1989

- Gorbachev gives more independence; Poland and Hungary start democratic reforms in early 89

- increasing number of people (89: 100.00) in GDR wait for allowence to emigrate and start to demonstrate for it

- many escape over Hungary or FRG´s embassies

- in April 89 Honecker revokes „order to shoot“

- demonstrations increase rapidly and can´t be stoped

6) 1989: Fall of the Berlin Wall

- SED realizes social and economic crisis; new General Secretary Egon Krenz announces „turn around“

- FRG´s government offers economical help in return of democratic reforms

- GDR´s government quickly works out a new regulation for travel

- Schabowski proclaims free right to travel accidently on November 9, 1989

- due to this people start to demand to cross the border; border guards don´t know what to do and finally at about 11 p.m. Open the border

6) 1989: Fall of the Berlin Wall

- SED looses control- Demonstrations continue and demand one

german state- Soviet Union realizes that GDR can´t be

maintained- first free election in march 90- in June 90 FRG´s parliament votes for an

economic, monetary and social union- two-plus-four-conference gives authority for

german state- on October 3 1990 official (re-)unification

7) 1989 until today: After the fall

- people are united

- huge costs for Unification

- most of eastern Germany still faces massive social problems

- intense increase of racism in early 90s (e.g. Rostock-Lichtenhagen)