Human Heritage: A World History

"The Wall Came Tumbling Down"

Introduction
The 70-mile-long Berlin Wall stood for 28 years as a physical and symbolic divider between East Germany and West Germany—socialism and democracy. Guard towers, floodlights, and armed East German soldiers with "shoot to kill" orders defined the wall. In 1989 in the midst of Soviet political changes, the wall was torn down, and Germany was reunited. In this activity, you will take a closer look at the rise and fall of the Berlin Wall.

Destination Title: The Berlin Wall

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Directions
Start at the Newseum Web site exhibit on the Berlin Wall.

• Click on The Rise and Fall of the Berlin Wall.
• Click on and read the information under each link on the right of the screen, from Before the Wall down to Living with the Wall.
• Use what you have learned to answer the following questions.

1			Why did the communist government build the Berlin Wall?
2			What did the West Germans call the wall?
3			About how many East Germans tried to escape to the West? How many were successful? How many died?
4			Despite the wall, how did East Germans learn about the West?
5			Although people in East Berlin were not permitted to even go near the Berlin Wall, the residents of West Berlin covered the wall with words and drawings that expressed their feelings about the wall, the government, and their friends and family on the other side. Imagine that you lived in West Berlin during the period of separation. Decorate a piece of paper or a poster board as you might have decorated a section of the Berlin Wall.