1. The Berlin Wall

5. Building the Berlin Wall In an effort to stop an exodus to the West and prevent depletion of the labor force, the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) partitioned the city, a move that not only came to symbolize the collapse of the German Empire, but became a focus of Cold War tensions.

6. The political division of Berlin became physical when, on Aug. 13, 1961, Berlin residents awoke to a barbed-wire barrier between the communist East and noncommunist West. The fortifications were built by East German soldiers and militia and rapidly replaced by a concrete wall 12 feet high and 103 miles long.

9. Over the years, the Wall went through four distinct phases: Basic wire fence (1961) Improved wire fence (1962-1965) Concrete wall (1965-1975) Grenzmauer 75 (Border Wall 75) (1975- 1989)

11. 1963

15. The Berlin Wall

17. 1989

18. Tearing Down the Wall November 9th, 1989 Gunter Schabowski, East German Minister of Propaganda, read out a note at a press conference announcing that the border would be opened for "private trips abroad.” The news spread like wildfire and the German people immediately gathered in their thousands by the checkpoints, demanding passage.

19. November 9, 1989

20. Berlin Wall: 20 Years Later - The Berlin Wall Through Time - Interactive Feature - NYTimes.com