The Wall

Last week, on Monday, February 5th, 2018, the Berlin Wall had officially been down as long as it had stood.

The wall was up for 28 years, 2 months, and 27 days from 1961-1989. For 28 years, 2 months, and 27 days, Berlin was divided; split between competing ideologies and warring countries with brick and mortar. Streets were interrupted, families were split, communities were destroyed. With a wall.

I have realized through my college education that US Americans don't actually learn all that much about the walls that divided what were once the Bundesrepublik Deutschland (BRD) and the Deutsche Demokratische Republik (DDR). In my primary education, I learned about WWII (often) and you can bet that I studied the Holocaust multiple times over. Don't misunderstand me: it is incredibly important to learn about these things--but after that, we learned that there was a wall, and that was it. We didn't learn the unbelievable speed with which it was erected and then steadily expanded throughout the years. We didn't learn the thoroughly evil engineering that went into it. We certainly did not learn what it did to the German people and the lasting effect that it, 28 years, 2 months, and 27 days after its deconstruction, continues to have. We were not taught what we should learn from it, and how we can still learn from it today.

It is a somber topic to talk about the wall and its effects, but in the context of its recent milestone as well as the political climate in the United States at the moment, allow me to show you what the first 12 years of my education failed to show me. 

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Context

After WWII, what we now know as Germany was split into four pieces:

Die Verteilung. Germany was split between the East (USSR) and the West (US, France, and Great Britain). If you look closely within the USSR's region, you can see how Berlin was split in much the same way.

Eventually, the Allies occupying the West turned their governing power back to the German people, who, in September 1949, wrote the Grundgesetz (basic law) and formed the Bundesrepublik Deutschland, or the Federal Republic of Germany. East Germany, however, remained largely (entirely...) under the control and influence of the Soviet Union and the Communists. East Germany was formally declared the Deutsche Demokratische Republik or the German Democratic Republic in October 1949. 

From the very beginning, the communist DDR was plagued with problems stemming from ruined cities, ideological conflicts, and exploited workers. The DDR experienced massive emigration and, in turn, a large "Brain Drain" whereby young, educated workers left the communist regime in favor of freedom in the West. Seeing this, the East started to limit travel between the Eastern and Western blocs in Berlin as well as between the entireties of the BRD and DDR. Between 1952 and 1956, the East gradually cut off virtually all access between the now divided German peoples under the guise of stopping "Western agents," and they did it, in large part, with a wall. 

"Niemand hat die Absicht, eine Mauer zu errichten!"

 "Nobody intends to build a wall!"

June 15, 1961

At first, the wall was just a barbed-wire-topped fence between the two countries. This was erected in 1952. Consequently, the DDR saw many East Germans flee to Berlin in order to escape to Western territory. By 1961, nearly 20% of East Germany's population had escaped to the West. 

On August 13, 1961, the DDR closed the border to West Berlin. They tore up roads, put up barbed wire, and enlisted armed guards, very effectively closing off all access to the Western bloc of the city overnight. 

Closing the border.

Over the next few weeks, a brick-and-mortar wall was erected and topped with barbed wire for the duration of its construction. Due to the suddenness of the border's closing, families were split and communities divided. Germans who lived on one side of the border and worked on the other lost their jobs. West Berlin became an island in a hostile, Soviet-run landscape.

The wall goes up.

There were now two barriers: the inner German border separating East and West Germany, and the Berlin Wall separating East and West Berlin. Germany was now a tangible, living demonstration of the Cold War and the power of the Iron Curtain.

The Horrors of Die Mauer

You probably already knew most of the above. What I really want to delve into is the growth and evolution of the walls between the East and the West into the atrocities they were when they finally came down. As you read, however, keep in mind that the wall was not built to keep people out, but rather in.

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The inner German border started out as a barbed-wire fence in 1952.

So it begins.

Responding to the need to more effectively keep people from moving across the border, the DDR began expanding the wall in stages. They first reinforced the barbed wire fence by adding multiple layers of fencing and, occasionally, concertina wire. They also began erecting the early generations of guard towers.

Halt! Zonengrenze. You can see the layers of barbed wire and an early guard tower in the back. Picture is from 1962, 10 years after the beginning of the border's construction.

Over time, the border only became more hideous. The level of engineering that went in to the various barricades was a testament to man's ability to be inhumane. 

The border circa 1984.

The above diagram shows the third iteration of the border. You can see how, on the Western side, there was nothing but some signs marking the border and a small road barrier. However, on the Eastern side, the barricades were numerous and each was more deadly than the last. 

From the perspective of an East German trying to escape, obstacles appeared in this order:

First, a 5km-wide restricted zones. People living close enough to the border were not allowed to enter or leave this area without a special pass, could not visit other border villages, and had nighttime curfews. In the image you can see a road barricade (much like on the BRD side) and a guard station. (22)

Second, a barbed-wire-lined steel fence preventing you from enter the "protective strip." You were only allowed past this fence with a special ID. The fence was also slightly electrified, and the barbed wire triggered a silent alarm when cut or touched, alerting nearby guards. (21) This fence was also lined with floodlights. (18)

Third, a very, very large stretch of open ground referred to as the "protective strip." This stretch was usually 500-1000 meters long and was highly visible to anyone standing watch in a (concrete) guard tower (13, 15, 16) or an observation bunker (14). There were almost 700 guard towers built along the 866-mile long border by 1989. The larger ones were equipped with floodlights and firing ports. 

Fourth, dogs attached to chains on long (up to 1km) runs. The dogs were frequently underfed and left alone for long periods of time, thus making them hostile and willing to chase down any human unfortunate enough to cross their path. (17)

Fifth, a bare-earth "control strip" on which footprints were left behind by anyone trying to escape. (10) These footprints allowed guards to monitor undetected (and therefore successful) escape attempts and increase their watch accordingly. The control strip was also lit with floodlights. (12)

Sixth, an anti-automobile ditch lined on one side with slabs of concrete. These effectively kept anyone attempting an escape from using a car to even reach the next fence, let alone break through it. (9) Sometimes, this area was lined with Czech hedgehogs instead of ditches. 

Seventh, a minefield sandwiched between two fences (8) or a tall fence equipped with motion-activated, self-firing turrets. Activation of a turret triggered detonation of a cone-shaped charge filled with shrapnel. (6)

The construction of the wall meant the destruction of many East German villages and buildings that were deemed too closed to the border. The successive additions to the border fortification systems resulted in a massive, armed scar that tore through the landscape.

A preserved section of the wall.

Much in the same way, anything that stood in the way of the Berlin Wall was also destroyed in favor of the construction of the wall itself and the massive, accompanying Todesstreife.

The Berlin Wall plus Todesstreife.

The Berlin Wall and the Todesstreife (Death Strip) evolved similarly to the inner German border. For an East German, trying to escape meant overcoming:

First, a concrete or expanded metal wall.

Second, a similarly tall, barbed-wire-topped signal fence that triggered a silent alarm when anyone attempted to scale it.

Third, a row or two of Czech hedgehogs for automobile prevention OR rows of "Stalin's Carpet."

Fourth, an area of open land lined with watch towers and bunkers. 

Fifth, floodlights and an access road for the guards.

Sixth, a control strip for tracking footprints.

Seventh, an anti-vehicle ditch. 

Eighth, a 12-foot high and 4-foot wide concrete wall. The top of the wall was also lined with a smooth pipe to make it harder to climb. This wall was also helpful in concealing the true nature of the wall from the West Germans. 

This wall was similarly massive to the inner German border:

A chunk of the wall in Berlin as it once stood.

As evil as it was when it came down in 1989, the DDR regime was consistently developing "improvements" to the wall under the codename Grenze 2000. This plan would've replaced the physical fences and barriers with (arguably more terrifying) sensors and detectors, but fortunately, never came to fruition.

People were endlessly creative in their attempts to cross the borders in Berlin as well as the inner German border. Planes, tunnels, hot air balloons--they were desperate to escape. Sadly, though, most of those trying to cross the border did so on their own two feet, over fences, through barbed wire, and past dogs and guards. There were thousands of victims of the walls between those arrested, injured, or killed.

Attempted and successful crossings of the border fortifications by obstacle. 

One of the earlier and more well-known victims of the wall was Peter Fechter, an 18-year-old who tried to escape past one of the earlier versions of the wall in Berlin in 1962. Peter was shot by DDR soldiers, fell into the death strip, and slowly bled over the course of an hour as he screamed for help in full view of western media. DDR soldiers picked him up and took him to a hospital, and he died the same day.

Its Legacy

East Germany and West Germany are still noticeably different from one another. Over the course of being split for more than 30 years, differences in culture and perspective grew larger and larger. Now, 28 years and 2 months after reunification, the rift remains. This is most clearly illustrated with maps:

German election results from 2017.

Looking at the above maps, you can see how the border between East and West is still very much in existence, ideologically-speaking. There is also a level of tension rising on behalf of the West because they were (and still are) required to pay taxes to repair the East after they were unable to properly rebuild after the war under the communist regime. Nowadays, many cities in the East are beautiful, filled with freshly restored buildings and modern architecture. As a result, the West is starting to get bitter. Knowing this, who can say how long the border will remain?

There is more--much more--to say about the walls that divided Germany for so long and, really, still do. Unfortunately, I can't go into all of that right now, but I highly recommend that you spend some time looking into it on your own.

Why does all this matter?

Of course, all of this matters in the context of the recent milestone. The Berlin Wall, now down as long as it was up, is always ready to prompt meaningful reflection on the havoc that warring governments can have on a single people--that's what I'm focusing on here. 

The DDR constructed a wall to physically keep people from escaping their (often dangerous) existence to something better. They constructed a wall and armed officers very well knowing that people were going to die in their efforts to flee. The government pelted those living in the DDR with anti-Western sentiments intending to make them believe that those living in the West were out to get them, were evil, were somehow, "other."

"Freedom of the Carnivores: 'Come to us in the West.' Said the snake to the frog, 'Freedom rules here. Here, one can grow fat and prosperous!' He jumped. She said: 'I am just as free,' and ate him."

The West, on the other hand, refused to see the East Germans as anything other than their brethren. They accepted refugees from the East, and reminded themselves that those on the other side of the wall were just like themselves. They fought for the end of the wall and its injustices, even as some of those in the East believed that they were evil itself.

A sign from the BRD's side of the border: "Germany doesn't end here! The Fatherland continues over there!"

Within the past two years, talk of a border wall ("big, fat, and beautiful") along the US-Mexico border has increased to shockingly ignorant levels. There are already some barriers along our shared border. Of course, there's something to be said for halting or hindering smuggling operations by means of a physical barrier. However, where does it end?

The United States of America is trying to construct a wall to physically keep people from escaping their (often dangerous) existence to something better. We're constructing a wall and arming officers very well knowing that people are going to die in their efforts to flee. Our government is pelting us with anti-Mexican sentiments intending to make us believe that those living in Mexico are out to get us, are evil, are somehow, "other."

The ideological differences are, of course, present. The US isn't constructing a wall to force people to remain within its borders and live within a certain regime. But then, bringing up this argument requires that we examine why the US is trying to build a wall: blatant racism. Claims of "preventing illegal aliens" prompts me to remember that the US-Canadian border is also largely unsecured. And for as much as Trump seems to care about the economy, what about the economy? I also can't get over the idea that Americans, knowing that their country was founded by (hostile, illegal) immigrants in search of freedom, seem to be suddenly so unable to see the hypocrisy in defending this border wall.

"Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,"

So who are we, really? For 28 years, 2 months, and 27 days, we fought alongside the BRD against the DDR and the Soviet Union. The US placed itself firmly alongside freedom and justice as well as those people who just wanted something better. 

JFK cried, "Ich bin ein Berliner!" 

Ronald Reagan said,  "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this Wall." 

Donald Trump screams, "The wall just got 10 feet higher!"

So, in defiance of the President and my last name, let's start breaking down the barriers between us rather than building them up.

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