The Berlin Wall (Berlin Mauer), officially known as the "Anti-Fascist Protection Rampart" (Antifaschistischer Schutzwall), was erected overnight on August 13, 1961, by the Soviet Union along the path in front of the Brandenburg Gate. Stretching over 160 kilometers and standing approximately 4 meters high, this wall was built as Cold War tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union escalated. Its purpose was to prevent East Berlin residents from fleeing to West Berlin. This towering barrier cut off interactions between people in East and West Berlin and also divided two vastly different ways of life.

The construction of the Berlin Wall was a significant symbol of Germany’s division and the Cold War after World War II. Once the wall was built, only West Berliners could apply to visit relatives in East Berlin, but even if approved, they had to wait a considerable amount of time. It wasn’t until November 9, 1989, when the situation in East Germany dramatically changed, that thousands of East Berliners broke through the barriers at midnight. Amid cheers from hundreds of thousands of people from both East and West Germany, the Berlin Wall finally fell, reuniting the city after 28 years of separation.