What was the difference between East Berlin and West Berlin?

East Berlin was the de facto capital city of the German Democratic Republic from 1949 to 1990. Formally, it was the Soviet sector of Berlin, established in 1945. The American, British, and French sectors were known as West Berlin.

Was West Berlin in East or West Germany?

West Berlin (German: Berlin (West) or West-Berlin) was a political enclave which comprised the western part of Berlin during the years of the Cold War. West Berlin was formally controlled by the Western Allies and entirely surrounded by the Soviet-controlled East Berlin and East Germany.

Did Berlin split between East and West Germany?

At the end of the Second World War, Germany was divided into four zones of occupation under the control of the United States, Britain, France and the Soviet Union. The American, British and French sectors would form West Berlin and the Soviet sector became East Berlin. …

Was Berlin on the border of East and West Germany?

Berlin, which was entirely within the Soviet zone, had been similarly divided by the four powers, thus creating an exclave surrounded by East Germany that was closely aligned with (but not formally part of) West Germany….Inner German border.

When was Berlin divided?

Shortly after midnight on August 13, 1961, East German soldiers begin laying down barbed wire and bricks as a barrier between Soviet-controlled East Berlin and the democratic western section of the city.

How was Berlin divided?

After World War II, defeated Germany was divided into Soviet, American, British and French zones of occupation. The city of Berlin, though technically part of the Soviet zone, was also split, with the Soviets taking the eastern part of the city.

Why was Berlin divided when it was in East Germany?

To stop the exodus of its population, the East German government, with the full consent of the Soviets, erected the Berlin Wall, isolating West from East Berlin. West Berlin, then literally an island within the surrounding GDR, became the symbol of Western freedom.

When did Berlin split into East and West?

When was the East German map of West Berlin published?

The map above is one of our favourites. It shows (or rather doesn’t show) West Berlin in 1988. It was published in East Germany just one year before the fall of the Berlin Wall. On the surface the map is clearly ridiculous and wouldn’t have fooled anyone.

Is there a West Berlin in East Germany?

For most people living in East Berlin or East Germany, West Berlin may as well have not existed, because for all practical purposes it was impossible to visit. This is discussed humorously in the following Maps men video:

What was the east side of the Berlin Wall called?

An East German map produced in 1960 labelled the eastern and western halves of the city ‘Democratic Berlin’ and ‘West Berlin: The area of the occupation regime of the United States, Great Britain and France’ respectively. Others reduced ‘Westberlin’ to an outlying suburb of ‘Berlin, Capital of the German Democratic Republic’.

When was the first map of the Berlin Wall made?

The map dates from 1961, at which time the barrier actually consisted of barbed wire only. Almost all the transport links between the two halves of the city were severed. But two U-Bahn lines went under the Wall, connecting different parts of West Berlin via the Mitte (centre) in East Berlin.