The Berlin Wall was a physical barrier constructed by the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) in 1961 to separate East and West Berlin. It symbolized the divide between communist and capitalist ideologies during the Cold War.
Related terms
Iron Curtain: Refers to the ideological and physical division between Eastern and Western Europe during the Cold War.
Checkpoint Charlie: The most famous border crossing point between East and West Berlin during the time of the Berlin Wall.
Cold War: A period of political tension and rivalry between the United States (and its allies) and Soviet Union (and its allies) from 1947 to 1991.