3.3: Construction of the Berlin wall

Brain drain

Between 1949-52 675,000 mainly young, skilled and educated refugees from the east moved to the west for a better life.

Why did brain drain impact east Germany economy?

Food shortages were increasing as well as reducing production of heavy goods leading to Ulbricht sealing the border in 1952.

Describe the initial sealing of the border between east and west Germany?

• 1,400 km of barbed wire fences

• Minefield installed

• Armed soldiers given orders to shoot for attempted crossing

• 5 km exclusion zone for those with special permits

How could ppl still leave Germany during the initial sealing of the borders?

Underground and overground train lined ran across all sectors of the four zones.

How mnay people left Germany between 1949-61 and who were the majority age group?

Mainly people aged 25 and under left resulting in 2.8 million leaving in total which was 1/6 of the population.

What impact did people leaving during the initial sealing of the borders have on East Germany?

People under 25 were needed to develop the fledging E. Germany economy which made this exodus embarrassing for Ulbricht as citizens were abandoning ‘workers paradise’

When was the start of the Berlin Wall built?

The 3 metre high wall was built on 13 August 1961 in which 15,000 East Germany troops halted all vehicle and pedestrian access into West Berlin.

How many citizens dies trying to cross the borders between 1952-89?

290

By how much did the number in leaving reduce and why was this significant?

Before the wall in 1961 207,000 left for the west however in 1962 it dropped to 21,000 which meant many accepted there was no way out and worked to create a successful socialist society.

Why was the wall a ideological failure ?

Given a choice between capitalist West and communist East, millions of Germans sought for better living standards in the west.