On what date did East Germany begin building the Berlin Wall?

East Germany began building the Berlin Wall on 13 August 1961. The operation was organized by the German Democratic Republic’s government and backed by the Soviet Union.

Workers and security forces first blocked streets, rail routes, and crossing points with barbed wire. Concrete segments and fortified barriers followed. The sudden closure separated West Berlin from East Berlin and the surrounding East German territory.

The immediate purpose was to stop the growing flow of people leaving East Germany through Berlin. Between 1949 and 1961, millions had moved to the West, creating serious economic and political pressure on the GDR. The wall was officially presented as protection against Western aggression, but it primarily restricted East German citizens.

The barrier remained for more than 28 years. Its opening on 9 November 1989 led to rapid dismantling and became a defining moment in the end of the Cold War.