What was the official name given to the Berlin Wall by East Germany?

East Germany officially called the Berlin Wall the Anti-Fascist Protection Barrier, a translated form of the German name Antifaschistischer Schutzwall. The East German government presented the structure as a defensive measure protecting the socialist state from fascist forces and hostile Western agents.

In reality, the Wall was built in 1961 chiefly to stop East German citizens from leaving for West Berlin and the Federal Republic of Germany. Before its construction, millions of people had moved from East to West Germany, creating a serious political and economic crisis for East Germany. The fortified barrier sealed off West Berlin and sharply restricted movement across the city.

The name became part of the Cold War’s competing propaganda narratives. Western critics called it the “Wall of Shame,” a phrase associated with West Berlin mayor Willy Brandt, while “Iron Curtain” described the broader division between the Soviet and Western blocs rather than the Berlin Wall alone. The official East German label was therefore political language, not a neutral description.