The Cold War had a profound impact on the Berlin Wall, which became a great symbol of the ideological divide between the capitalist West and the communist East. Built in 1961 by the East German government, the wall was designed to prevent the mass emigration of East Germans to the more prosperous West. It was heavily fortified with barbed wire, guard towers, and mines, and became a deadly barrier that separated families and friends. The wall stood as a dark reminder of the Cold War tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union, and was a potent symbol of the struggle between democracy and communism. The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 marked the end of the Cold War and the beginning of a new era of global cooperation and peace. The following photos were taken at the Berlin wall and show more about its history.
Jumping to freedom
I chose this picture because it shows that even some of the soldiers who were with the communist side didn't like it and wanted to leave it to freedom.
Leap of faith
The photo above was taken of Frieda Schulze as he was about to jump out of her apartment that was part of the east Berlin down to the road that was in west Berlin.
I like this photo because it shows a women leaving her home behind for freedom.
The arrow in the picture is pointing to a pool of blood where a man was shot by the east Berlin wall guards while he was trying to escape.
I chose this photo because it shows that the east side wanted to stop people from leaving so bad that they were willing to shoot and kill their own people for trying.
The train to life
This photo shows Harry Deterling a train engineer who stole a train and used it to drive through the last station in east Berlin to west Berlin bringing 25 passengers with him.
I like this photo because it shows what they were able to bring with them and you can see its not much.
Trying to break communism
This photo was taken where a 19 year old east Berlin soldier who helped build the wall stole a tank and tried driving through the wall to break it down.
I like this photo because it shows that even though he help build the wall he knew it was wrong and tried destroying it.
Dying for a chance
The picture above is of the same man who tried driving the tank through the wall after he managed to escape into west Berlin.
I like this photo because it shows what hope can do for someone the man above was shot twice and got stuck in barbed wire fence he still made it to freedom.
Bow of freedom
The picture was taken of two brothers after they used a bow to get across the wall. They fired it from a roof over the wall and then used the line to zip line over.
I like this picture because it show that people were trying anything to get away.
Car ride to freedom
The picture shows a man put is family in the trunk of his car to get them the west side of Berlin.
This photo shows that in order to get is family across he had to hide them and they had to leave everything behind
In the end
The pictures of the Berlin Wall and people escaping East Berlin to the West Berlin were chosen because i feel that they were a powerful visual representations of the Cold War and its impact on the lives of people. The pictures of people escaping East Berlin and seeking refuge in West Berlin showcase the human toll of the Cold War. These images serve as a reminder that the Cold War was not just a geopolitical conflict, but a deeply personal struggle for those who lived through it. The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 marked the end of the Cold War and the triumph of democracy over communism, and these pictures are a testament to the resilience and courage of those who sought freedom in the face of adversity.
