|
|
Reconstruction and division
After the panic and shock of the Nazi dictator and the end of the war, the city was in ruins. The population had almost halved. The city was split in four sectors, each under the administration of one of the victorious Allied powers. The east of the city was dominated by the Soviets, the south-west by the USA, the west by Great Britain and the north-west by France.
From 25th June, 1948, the three western sectors were blockaded by the Soviets. The Allies' "Berlin Airlift" conserved the city going by flying in supplies of food and other provisions for a total of 324 days. The locals nicknamed the Allied planes "Rosinenbombern" (raisin bombers). The blockade finally ended on 12th May, 1949.
When the German Democratic Republic was established on 7th October, 1949, East Berlin became the capital of the GDR. The government of the GDR moved its location to the eastern half of the city. At that time people could still travel across to the west, for example, to work, without a problem.
The division of the city was set in a huge wall when the Berlin Wall was erected on 13th August, 1961. From then on, it turned in an impossible situation for those living in the East Berlin to visit family members in West Germany or to commute to West Berlin. It was only after John F. Kennedy visited the city in 1963 that a limited travel permit scheme was included. The huge waiting area at the central train station Friedrichstraße became known as the Tränenpalast (Palace of Tears).
Back to:
Berlin History
|
|
|
|
|
