Although not built until 1961, the infamous Berlin Wall has its roots in the aftermath of the Second World War. With the defeat of the Axis forces the old German capital of Berlin was partitioned into western and eastern sections. The former was controlled by American, British and French forces and the later by the Soviet Union. At this time the sectors were purely administrative and travel between the various areas was still unrestricted. By the end of 1946 however a travel pass was required to move between the Soviet controlled zones and the western sectors and a year later the two areas had been assigned different currencies thus separating the two areas on financial and mercantile levels.

IN 1949 in the wake of the incident known as the Berlin Airlift, the larger map underwent some drastic changes and Germany itself separated into the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) and the German Democratic Republic is founded
(East Germany). Berlin in East Germany finds itself an island after this as the border between East and West Germany and between East Germany and West Berlin is closed. Only the border between East and West Berlin is still opened.

The next decade was a period of industrial action and unrest, heavy restriction was placed on travel and West Berlin became a self contained cities surrounded by the communist controlled East Germany. In 1961 the Brandenburg gate, the main crossing point between east and west is closed and the wall proper is erected and all travel for West Berliners is stopped. It is after this action that J F Kennedy visits West Berlin in solidarity and makes the famous speech containing the phrase "Ich bin ein Berliner." ("I am a Berliner.")

Throughout the seventies agreements make the travel for West Berliners easier but it is not until the 1980s that the first signs of reunifications in Eastern Europe begin to show. As the old Eastern Bloc of communist controlled countries begins to fracture in 1987 Ronald Regan visits the Soviet leader, Mikhail Gorbachev and urges him to tear down the wall. In November 1989 with the end of the Soviet Union the borders are opened in Berlin and the citizens tear down large sections of the wall in a controlled and peaceful demonstration of past frustrations. Small lumps of these wall sections have ended up, as prize possessions in peoples house and the remainder are still standing as a monument to a dark past.

In 1990 Germany itself was reunited and Berlin once more found itself as the capital city of a whole country.

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