IMAGO/EST&OST

Visual Memories of Berlin: From Construction to the Fall of the Wall

The fall of the Wall on November 9, 1989, marked the end of an era and symbolized the reunification of Germany and the triumph of freedom over division. As we mark the 35th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, it's time to look back at its story from its rise to its fall in photos and videos.

When and How the Berlin Wall Was Built

The Berlin Wall was constructed by the German Democratic Republic (GDR) beginning on August 13, 1961, primarily to prevent East Germans from fleeing to the West amid Cold War tensions. Originally, the wall started as a barbed wire fence erected almost overnight, followed by a more substantial concrete wall a few days later.

Over time, this simple barrier evolved into a complex system that included two concrete walls separated by a heavily fortified “death strip,” or in German “Todesstreifen.” It contained guard towers, electrified fences, and anti-vehicle trenches, which all of them mostly had one aim: discouraging escape attempts.

The wall divided Berlin until its fall on November 9, 1989, when political changes and widespread protests led to the border’s opening. Its construction was driven by East Germany’s goal to stem the tide of migration that was weakening its economy, while the wall’s fall symbolized the end of the Cold War.

You can see the story of the wall from the day it was built to its fall trough the lens of IMAGO storytellers via the IMAGO picture desk collection here.

a photo of building the berlin wall
IMAGO / UIG | Along the line between West Berlin (left) and East Germany, a 100-meter (330-foot) border strip is being cleared by the DDR authorities, with an East German watchtower seen in the distant background, where guards oversee the area.
A photo of the wall of berlin 1961
IMAGO / United Archives | A young mother, with her child in a stroller behind her, looks over the wall on Bernauer Strasse into East Berlin, Germany, on September 1, 1961.
A photo of Checkpoint Charlie in Berlin 1961
IMAGO / Sabine Gudath | Border guards at Checkpoint Charlie in Berlin, captured on September 30, 1961.
a photo of the Berlin Wall at Schiffbauerdamm. 1961
IMAGO / Sabine Gudath | Guard on duty atop a building near the Berlin Wall at Schiffbauerdamm. 1961
a photo of Berlin Wall in Berlin-Kreuzberg
IMAGO / Peter Homann | Children playing near the Berlin Wall in Berlin-Kreuzberg on June 12, 1986.
a photo of Berlin Wall in 1981.
IMAGO / Sommer | A family cycling alongside the Berlin Wall on June 15, 1981.
Berlin Wall in Berlin-Kreuzberg on 1986
IMAGO / Sven Simon | Father’s Day at the Berlin Wall in Berlin-Kreuzberg on June 1, 1986.
a photo of President Reagan visit in berlin 1987
IMAGO / Günter Schneider | West Berliners look over the Berlin Wall from a viewing platform during President Reagan’s visit in 1987.
 a photo of Kreuzberg area of West Berlin 1975
IMAGO / TT | August 11, 1975: Children play football beside the Berlin Wall in the Kreuzberg area of West Berlin.
IMAGO/Peter Homann
IMAGO / Peter Homann
a photo of the fall of the wall of berlin
IMAGO / Jochen Tack | Balloons decorate the Berlin Wall, which has been partially chipped away by citizens, as East German soldiers observe on November 11, 1989, during the fall of the Wall.
a photo of fall of the wall of berlin
IMAGO / imagebroker | In the early morning of November 10, 1989, East German citizens make their way from Worbis to Duderstadt, Lower Saxony, through the newly opened inner-German border following the previous evening’s announcement.