Life Behind the Wall
At first, the “wall” was just a barbed wire barrier separating the two countries. After too many people started being able to climb over it, the German Democratic Republic erected a stronger, second border fence. This was located farther into the G.D.R. with a “No man’s land” in between the two fences, with guard towers, minefields, anti-vehicle trenches and nail beds. East German border guards were permitted to shoot would-be escapees on sight. This horrible place began to be known as the “death strip”, where many escapees met their demise. Not much later, in 1965, a stronger concrete wall was put up around West Berlin. Large border fences were also put up at the East-West border. East Germany was completely sealed off.
People led lives which were poor when compared to those in the West. Many of them lived in ugly prefabricated apartment houses, drove smoky plastic-bodied cars, and they were under constant surveillance by the Stasi, East Germany’s horrible secret police. The press was controlled by the government and gave a very one-sided view of the world with constant praise of the communist government and its achievements. Compared to some other Eastern European countries, the people in East Germany were pretty well off, but they had no freedom to travel, no freedom of speech, no freedoms at all. Some East-Germans were able to intercept illegal western broadcasts if they had a good radio or TV. This gave them an idea of what life was like in the West.
The Communist government tried to make sure that people would not leave or even visit the West, but they were not always successful. People longed to escape so much that they sometimes dug tunnels under the Wall, drove large vehicles into it, flew over it, and traveled across it to visit family but then never came back.
At first, the “wall” was just a barbed wire barrier separating the two countries. After too many people started being able to climb over it, the German Democratic Republic erected a stronger, second border fence. This was located farther into the G.D.R. with a “No man’s land” in between the two fences, with guard towers, minefields, anti-vehicle trenches and nail beds. East German border guards were permitted to shoot would-be escapees on sight. This horrible place began to be known as the “death strip”, where many escapees met their demise. Not much later, in 1965, a stronger concrete wall was put up around West Berlin. Large border fences were also put up at the East-West border. East Germany was completely sealed off.
People led lives which were poor when compared to those in the West. Many of them lived in ugly prefabricated apartment houses, drove smoky plastic-bodied cars, and they were under constant surveillance by the Stasi, East Germany’s horrible secret police. The press was controlled by the government and gave a very one-sided view of the world with constant praise of the communist government and its achievements. Compared to some other Eastern European countries, the people in East Germany were pretty well off, but they had no freedom to travel, no freedom of speech, no freedoms at all. Some East-Germans were able to intercept illegal western broadcasts if they had a good radio or TV. This gave them an idea of what life was like in the West.
The Communist government tried to make sure that people would not leave or even visit the West, but they were not always successful. People longed to escape so much that they sometimes dug tunnels under the Wall, drove large vehicles into it, flew over it, and traveled across it to visit family but then never came back.