Which East German leader authorized the construction of the Berlin Wall in 1961?

Walter Ulbricht authorized the construction of the Berlin Wall in 1961.

Ulbricht was the leader of East Germany, officially the German Democratic Republic, from its creation in 1949 until 1971. His government faced a severe population loss as millions of East Germans moved west, often through Berlin, where the border was easier to cross than elsewhere.

Although Ulbricht publicly insisted shortly before the construction that nobody intended to build a wall, he had obtained Soviet approval for sealing West Berlin. East German security forces began blocking crossings in the early hours of 13 August 1961, initially using barbed wire before replacing much of it with concrete barriers.

Erich Honecker was Ulbricht’s successor and oversaw later reinforcement of the border system. Willy Brandt was West Berlin’s mayor during the Wall’s construction, while Konrad Adenauer was West Germany’s chancellor. These figures are often connected with the Wall, but Ulbricht was the East German leader who authorized its construction.