Question

1 How was Berlin similar to Germany in 1949? 2 Why did many people in East Germany want to move to the West? 3 What did the East German Government do in 1961 to stop people leaving? 4 Why did people in East Germany have less privacy than people in the West? 5 How many people escaped from East to West Berlin? 6 When did the Berlin Wall open? Writing

Answer 1

Berlin in 1949 was similar to Germany as a whole in terms of political division after World War II. Germany was divided into East and West, and Berlin itself was divided into East and West Berlin.

Many people in East Germany wanted to move to the West due to political repression, lack of freedoms, economic hardships, and seeking better opportunities, including more personal freedoms and better living conditions.

In 1961, the East German Government built the Berlin Wall to stop people from leaving. This wall physically separated East and West Berlin, preventing East Germans from escaping to the West.

In East Germany, there was extensive surveillance, censorship, and control by the government, leading to less privacy compared to the West. The government used spy networks and restricted personal freedoms to maintain control.

It's estimated that around 5,000 people successfully escaped from East to West Berlin before the construction of the Berlin Wall. After the wall was built, escape attempts became far more difficult.

The Berlin Wall opened on November 9, 1989, marking the beginning of the end of the division between East and West Germany. This event led to the eventual reunification of Germany.