The end of World War II in Europe was a time unlike any other in the world. It marked the end of a long war to beat back the Nazi military machine, and a long sought sigh of relief was exhaled by the world. This feeling, however, wouldn’t be echoed by the citizens of the one-time enemy nation, and many it had held under its sway. While Western Europe saw the coming of renewed freedom, the eastern half of the continent would find itself crushed under the march of Communism. Families would be separated, people would lose their jobs, and a once vibrant city, already decimated from the loss of war, would be literally divided down the middle between the USSR and what remained of the Allied forces, as what would be called the ‘Cold War’ reached its darkest days.
What was, after the war, only a territorial border became an actual wall, referred to as the ‘Anti-Fascist Protection Rampart’, in the summer of 1961, leaving Berlin’s citizens in growing despair. For two years, residents of East and West Germany had no contact with each other. Though it would still take more than two decades before the massive edifice that separated East and West Germany would fall for good, on December 20th, 1963, the Berlin Wall ‘opened’ for the first time, allowing residents of the divided country to cross, under intense supervision, from freedom to communism.
After negotiations between the two areas, communist East Germany relented into allowing citizens of West Germany to cross the wall. With the Christmas holiday approaching; more than 170,000 passes, each allowing for a one-day visit, were issued to the western population, allowing them to finally see family, friends, and colleagues that they had been forcibly parted from. The day of visiting was marked with yells and screams of joy, tears and cries of happiness, and a relief, though it would only last a day, which made the Cold War seem far away for these people.
On the political side of things, this momentous day was marked by scathing and unending propaganda from both sides of the wall. Visitors to the east were given brochures, explaining that the barrier was constructed to keep ‘decadent western culture, western movies, and gangster stories’ form degrading the lives of those in communist controlled Berlin, while the west spouted that visitors to the east were giving in to the communists, but whatever the case, as the spirit of the holidays descended upon Germany, a long lost feeling of joy and comfort filled its people. What do you think of this extraordinary event in history? Please, feel free and let The Historian know!
And before this day is done, we must wish a very Happy 2nd Birthday to one Eva Solis. Happy Birthday to an extremely special little girl!
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