Why was the Berlin wall built in 1961?

Lee, My grandfather, an aunt and uncle and two cousins lived in East Berlin so I went behind the wall on visits . Out through Checkpoint Charlie . The drive in from Hamburg was much more nerve wracking- a lorry driver was shot at the crossing about two weeks before we travelled .

The East German government's only concern was to maintain the two walls.

And when the wall came down in 1989, the guards helped with the demolition.

I feel fortunate that I got to see it in 1983. It is hard to really get a feeling for what it was like by reading about it or even seeing it in films. I went through Checkpoint Charlie and it was so nerve wracking! I felt such a relief when that wall came down!

knvcolorado , The answer said that...