As a young adult in 1989, I remember the joyous displays of people crossing the border from East Germany to West Germany. I was unknowledgeable about the significance of the "fall of the Berlin Wall", but I understood through the media that it was an important historical event of the twentieth century and would surely become a significant part of world history. German reunification became a reality that many Germans had dreamed of for years. The Reunification of the two Germanys was met with great excitement and expectations. Could this merging of two worlds live up to the dream of those who stood by the wall as it came crashing down?.
After World War II, Germany divided into four sections or zones. While this was meant to be a temporary move, the Cold War interceded and eventually the three western zones combined to form the Federal Republic of Germany while the eastern zone formed the German Democratic Republic. (Sandford) Berlin, the capital was also divided. The two areas of Germany, East Germany and West Germany began to experience a deteriorating relationship and conflicts arose. On Sunday August 12, 1961 plans for the beginning of the Berlin Wall were instituted. Led by Erich Honecker, the plans were kept secret. In fact, only twenty or so top-level East German officials knew of the plans. With limited written plans, the wall was erected with little knowledge until its completion. For the next 28 years the Berlin wall would separate East and West Germany. The divided areas of Germany would lead very different lives, with West Germany, a democratic union where the people and economy prospered. Yet, on the other hand, East Germany, under communist rule suffered tremendous economic dismay, and it people were offered few liberties.
During the 1980's, political changes in Eastern Europe gave Germans the hope for a reunified country, but the dream was unattainable as long as the communists held East Germany.