What did the Berlin Wall symbolize in Germany and around the world?
Professor Harrison: The wall symbolized the lack of freedom under communism. It symbolized the Cold War and divide between the communist Soviet bloc and the western democratic, capitalist bloc. Professor Stein: Berlin was on the frontline in the Cold War struggle between the superpowers. Conservative West Germans called the Berlin Wall a “wall of shame” and said that it illustrated the bankruptcy of communism. The East German government claimed that by building the “anti-fascist protective wall” they had saved the peace in Europe. Around the world, the Berlin Wall was the most widely recognizable Cold War symbol, which is why its collapse was such a dramatic spectacle and televised around the world. Q: What prompted the East German government to construct the wall in 1961? Professor Stein: Between 1949, when Germany was formally divided, and 1961, when the Berlin Wall was built, more than 3 million East Germans “voted with their feet” by moving to West Germany. The East German ruling p
