The Berlin Wall Explained (from 1945 to 1991)

The history of the Berlin Wall (Germany) explained by historian and history teacher Manon Schouten, from the end of WW2 up until the dissolvement of the Soviet Union in 1991. A comparison with the present is made with regards to the issue of American border security and Trump's Mexican Border Wall.

Here is the link to the incredible oral history with Dr. Burkhart Veigel:    • Oral Histories from Berlin: Tickets to Fre...  .


Attention! Towards the end of the video, the number "around 4 million people" (refugees) is mentioned. This number encompasses the number of refugees that fled the GDR (DDR; so East Germany) between 1949 and 1961. Meaning: until the Berlin Wall was built/closed. After that, so from August 1961 onwards, more people obviously tried to flee (without success) or, indeed escaped (succesfully). This elavated the total number of refugees to at least 5 million. Exact numbers are hard to provide due to the secrecy of the escape activities and due to official political intances that were unwilling to cooperate or provide exact information. However, for a more precise overview through the years, the book "Wege durch die Mauer: Fluchthilfe und Stasi zwischen Ost und West" by Burkhart Veigel (published in 2011) is a good and reliable work to consult.

A further nuance, is that the number of people who moved the other way (so from the West to the GDR) is not discussed in this video, even though that happened as well.




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