About the Berlin Wall for Kids

The Berlin Wall was built in 1961 to separate East and West Berlin in Germany. It was 96 miles long and 12 feet high. West Germany, America, and other democratic nations disapproved of the Berlin Wall. In 1990, after East Germany allowed the wall to be torn down, the countries reunited.


Geography
 The Berlin Wall was built in Berlin, Germany, in 1961. Berlin is Germany's capital as well as one of its 16 states. It is located on the east side of the country. Germany borders Poland, the Czech Republic, and Austria to the east, and it borders Belgium, the Netherlands, and France to the west.


Time Line
 Construction on the Berlin Wall began on Aug. 13, 1961. In 1963, U.S. President John F. Kennedy visited Berlin to show America's support for those blocked in by the Wall and to argue that the Wall should be taken down. He said: "Ich bin ein Berliner" (German for "I am a Berliner"). President Ronald Reagan visited Berlin in 1987 and also asked that the Wall be taken down.


Appearance
 The Berlin Wall circled the western half of Berlin. It was made of concrete blocks 12 feet tall and topped with barbed wire, to keep anyone from climbing over. There were more than 300 watchtowers along the Wall so guards could see anyone trying to escape. Sections of the Berlin Wall were covered with colorful graffiti artwork until it was torn down in 1990. Some parts of the Wall are still standing as a historical landmark.


History of the Wall's Construction
 After World War II (1939-1945), Germany was left in conflict. The east side (East Germany) was communist and allied with the Soviet Union, while the west side (West Germany) was democratic and allied with the United States. Since Germany's capital, Berlin, fell within East Germany's borders, the city was torn between the two sides and also split into East and West Berlin. The Berlin Wall was built by the East Germans to keep its citizens from going to West Berlin.


History of the Wall's Destruction
 Democratic nations (such as America, Great Britain and France) disapproved of the Berlin Wall since its construction. President Kennedy began to pressure the East Germans to take down the Wall when he visited in 1963, and President Reagan pressured them even more in 1987. By the end of the 1980s, communist power had greatly declined, and East Germany's government foundered in late 1989. On Nov. 9, it allowed East Berlin residents permission to visit West Berlin. That day, thousands poured across the checkpoints, and started to tear down portions of the wall to celebrate as guards watched. German reunification followed on Oct. 3, 1990.