Berlin Wall

The West Berlin side of the Berlin Wall, 1989

The Berlin Wall (German: Berliner Mauer) was a guarded concrete barrier that physically and ideologically divided Berlin from 1961 to 1989. Constructed by the German Democratic Republic (GDR, East Germany), starting on 13 August 1961, the Wall cut off (by land) West Berlin from virtually all of surrounding East Germany and East Berlin until government officials opened it in November 1989. Its demolition officially began on 13 June 1990 and finished in 1992. Wikipedia

Learn more about the Berlin Wall through historical newspapers from our archives. Explore newspaper articles, headlines, images, and other primary sources below.

Articles and Clippings about the Berlin Wall

East German police close the border between East and West Berlin after thousands of refugees flee Sun, Aug 13, 1961 – 1 · The Boston Globe (Boston, Massachusetts) · Newspapers.comU.S. and Britain protest the closing of the border between East and West Berlin Tue, Aug 15, 1961 – Page 1 · The Age (Melbourne, Victoria, Australia) · Newspapers.comCorrespondent describes situation in Berlin after closure of border between East and West halves Mon, Aug 14, 1961 – 1 · The Guardian (London, Greater London, England) · Newspapers.comEast Germany begins construction on the Berlin Wall Fri, Aug 18, 1961 – Page 2 · The Akron Beacon Journal (Akron, Ohio) · Newspapers.comPhoto of workers building the Berlin Wall in August 1961 Fri, Aug 18, 1961 – 2 · Spokane Chronicle (Spokane, Washington) · Newspapers.comArticle describing the separation of families in Berlin during the first days of the Berlin Wall Sat, Aug 19, 1961 – 5 · The Windsor Star (Windsor, Ontario, Canada) · Newspapers.comOpinion: Should West have knocked down Berlin Wall? Sun, Oct 8, 1961 – Page 29 · St. Louis Post-Dispatch (St. Louis, Missouri) · Newspapers.comPresident Kennedy and Chancellor Adenauer disagree on the demand for removal of the Berlin Wall Fri, Nov 17, 1961 – Page 1 · The Sheboygan Press (Sheboygan, Wisconsin) · Newspapers.comOpinion: Constructed at the end of 1961, the Berlin Wall brings confusion to Western powers Mon, Nov 20, 1961 – 6 · Latrobe Bulletin (Latrobe, Pennsylvania) · Newspapers.comCommunists strengthen Berlin Wall with tank traps and barriers Mon, Nov 20, 1961 – Page 1 · St. Cloud Times (Saint Cloud, Minnesota) · Newspapers.comPicture of East German police reinforcing wall where holes were made by explosives Fri, Aug 10, 1962 – Page 19 · The Cincinnati Enquirer (Cincinnati, Ohio) · Newspapers.comOpinion: The Berlin Wall, also known as the Iron Curtain, symbolizes the Cold War Fri, Aug 10, 1962 – Page 19 · The Cincinnati Enquirer (Cincinnati, Ohio) · Newspapers.comMore than 60,000 people have left East Germany for West Germany since the construction of the wall Sun, Aug 12, 1962 – 1 · Star-Gazette (Elmira, New York) · Newspapers.comWomen tells her story of escaping East Germany Mon, Aug 12, 1963 – Page 3 · Tallahassee Democrat (Tallahassee, Florida) · Newspapers.comPicture: "The Berlin Wall, A Political Pearl Harbor" Mon, Sep 21, 1964 – 9 · The Tampa Tribune (Tampa, Florida) · Newspapers.comGerman immigrant assists wounded refugee escape over the Berlin Wall in midst of battle Mon, Sep 14, 1964 – 2 · Oakland Tribune (Oakland, California) · Newspapers.comOpinion: Berlin Wall is a "grim reminder of deteriorating Free World" Fri, Aug 13, 1971 – Page 4 · The Daily Capital News (Jefferson City, Missouri) · Newspapers.comOpinion: "The Berlin Wall: Victory symbol for Communists" Thu, Aug 16, 1973 – Page 4 · Arizona Republic (Phoenix, Arizona) · Newspapers.comEast German police lift body of one who was shot trying to escape to the West over the Berlin Wall Fri, Nov 10, 1989 – 14 · The Tampa Tribune (Tampa, Florida) · Newspapers.comTwo East Germans use bow and arrow to escape over the Berlin Wall Wed, Apr 6, 1983 – Page 30 · Albuquerque Journal (Albuquerque, New Mexico) · Newspapers.comProtest in West Berlin against the Berlin Wall brings thousands Sun, Aug 10, 1986 – Page 22 · The Tennessean (Nashville, Tennessee) · Newspapers.comThree people escape to West Germany when truck crashes into the Berlin Wall’s Checkpoint Charlie Fri, Aug 29, 1986 – 21 · Leader-Telegram (Eau Claire, Wisconsin) · Newspapers.comMystery of the graffiti covering the Berlin Wall Wed, Aug 5, 1987 – 5 · News-Journal (Mansfield, Ohio) · Newspapers.com"Cold War ends as Berlin Wall’s significance falls" in 1989 Fri, Nov 10, 1989 – Page 2 · The Desert Sun (Palm Springs, California) · Newspapers.comBerliners rejoice as Wall opens while guards worry about losing jobs Fri, Nov 10, 1989 – 1 · The Gazette (Montreal, Quebec, Quebec, Canada) · Newspapers.comPicture of West Berliners celebrating with East German police Fri, Nov 10, 1989 – Page 37 · St. Louis Post-Dispatch (St. Louis, Missouri) · Newspapers.comExcerpt of a man’s story of leaving Berlin and then seeing the Wall fall years later Sun, Dec 17, 1989 – Page 59 · Albuquerque Journal (Albuquerque, New Mexico) · Newspapers.comOpinion: "Selling pieces of Berlin Wall a concrete example of insensitivity" Fri, Dec 29, 1989 – 27 · Dayton Daily News (Dayton, Ohio) · Newspapers.com