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People on the Berlin Wall by the Brandenburg Gate in November 1989
Image: Norbert Michalke/imageBROKER/picture alliance Image: Norbert Michalke/imageBROKER/picture alliance

Berlin Wall

This year marks 35 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall, which was built by East Germany's Socialist-ruled government in 1961. It cut off West Berlin from East Berlin and surrounded East Germany.

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News

November 9, 2024

Germany commemorates 35 years since fall of Berlin Wall

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Reports & Analysis

A woman stands in front of a piece of the graffiti-covered Berlin Wall.

Segments of Berlin Wall — 35 years after fall

Segments of Berlin Wall — 35 years after fall

The Berlin Wall fell on November 9, 1989. A DW team went looking for still-standing segments of the structure.
HistoryNovember 9, 202405:30 min
Birgit Fischer

Berlin Wall anniversary: East Germans who thrived after fall

Berlin Wall anniversary: East Germans who thrived after fall

After the Wall fell, these standout GDR athletes flourished on the international stage — and the medal podium.
SportsNovember 9, 202412 images
A photo from 1997 by Jordis Antonia Schloesser showing a boy playing in a graffiti-covered bus in the backyard of the Kunstehaus Tacheles.

Berlin in the 1990s: Playground and wasteland

Berlin in the 1990s: Playground and wasteland

The decade that followed the fall of the Berlin Wall shaped the city's global image as a hub of creativity and change.
CultureNovember 9, 2024
People look at artworks lined up as an open-air installation at river Spree marking the former course of the Berlin Wall

How the Berlin Wall split the city in two

How the Berlin Wall split the city in two

In 1961, Communist East Germany built a massive barrier throughout Berlin, dividing the city into east and west.
HistoryNovember 9, 202402:46 min
A man takes a photo of a large display at Checkpoint Charlie

What was it like when the wall fell at Checkpoint Charlie?

What was it like when the wall fell at Checkpoint Charlie?

Amateur photographer Mathias Brauner captured the atmosphere when the Berlin Wall fell at the former border crossing.
TravelNovember 8, 202402:30 min
1. FC Magdeburg huddle up before a game

35 years after Berlin Wall, East German football struggling

35 years after Berlin Wall, East German football struggling

East Germany’s political collapse was mirrored in football, but a focus on youth brings hope for the future.
SportsNovember 7, 2024
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Skip next section In the spotlight

In the spotlight

people standing atop the Berlin Wall on December 22, 1989, holding a banner reading "Germany, united Fatherland"

Understanding how Germany and Europe ended the Cold War

A new way to present history in the classroom: A traveling exhibit illustrates the recent German and European past.
HistoryMarch 23, 2024
Wolfgang Schäuble, an older man wearing rimless glasses, looking thoughtful (black and white image)

Wolfgang Schäuble: A veteran heavyweight of German politics

Wolfgang Schäuble, a politician with passion and a Protestant sense of duty, shaped German politics for half a century.
PoliticsDecember 27, 2023
A bleak East Berlin courtyard by Günter Steffen

In pictures: East Berlin before the fall of the Wall

Berlin photographer Günter Steffen captured East Berlin's final years as a capital. His pictures depict a gloomy city.
ArtsNovember 10, 2021
black and white photo of construction workers building the Berlin Wall

60 years ago, the Berlin Wall went up

The German capital was divided after WWII, but people were able to move freely around the city — until August 13, 1961.
HistoryAugust 13, 2021
Graffiti art on the Berlin Wall of two men embracing

Berlin before the Wall

East-West commuting: Before the Wall was built, Berlin was an open city. We revisit places of cultural exchange.
CultureAugust 12, 20219 images
A woman stands with a historical photo of a watchtower along the former site of the Berlin Wall, next to the watchtower today

Culture redefines path of former Berlin Wall

The Spree River was once part of the border to West Berlin. Today, the area is bustling with art and culture.
LifestyleAugust 6, 202104:17 min
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