The Berlin Wall fell in 1989, on 9 November.
East Germany built the wall in August 1961 to stop people from leaving East Berlin and East Germany for the West. The barrier divided streets, neighbourhoods, and families, becoming the most visible symbol of the Cold War confrontation between the Soviet-led Eastern bloc and the Western allies.
On 9 November 1989, an East German official announced new travel rules during a press conference. His wording suggested that the rules were effective immediately, and crowds soon gathered at border crossings. Guards eventually opened the gates, allowing large numbers of people to cross. Crowds then began dismantling sections of the wall.
The wall’s fall did not itself reunify Germany. German reunification formally occurred on 3 October 1990, after negotiations involving East and West Germany and the victorious Allied powers of World War II. Surviving sections remain as historical memorials and art sites.