November 9th is a historically important day for Germany. Thirty five years ago, the wall which separated the city for nearly 22 years was torn down by protestors. This was in response to the GDR (the government of East Germany) declaring that people were able to travel freely between the two parts of the country for the first time since it was split by the Allies, when they defeated Germany in World War II in 1945. During this time, families and friends were divided, travel from the West to the East was limited, and travel to the West for people living in the East was impossible. Several people tried to go over, through and under the wall, with many losing their lives during their attempts.
Even though the physical barrier between West Berlin (controlled by France, the US and UK) and East Berlin (controlled by the Soviet Union) was up for only 22 years, the economic and political separation of the city since 1948 had lasting impacts on the city which you can still see today. The two governments re-built the city in different ways; the buildings look different, the East has lots of trams, while the West has buses, and even the street lights vary. You can clearly see in an aerial picture of Berlin at night where the wall once stood, with the East’s distinct orange/yellow glow.
