Who was West Berlin’s mayor when the Berlin Wall was built in 1961?

Willy Brandt was West Berlin’s mayor when the Berlin Wall was built in August 1961.

Brandt had served as Governing Mayor of West Berlin since 1957 and was a prominent Social Democratic politician. The wall’s construction began while he was away from the city, and he returned quickly to address the crisis and coordinate West Berlin’s response with the Western Allies.

Brandt condemned the barrier as an assault on Berlin’s freedom but also had to manage the practical danger of a confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union. His public leadership helped reassure West Berlin residents during the tense early days of the division.

He later became West Germany’s foreign minister and chancellor. As chancellor, Brandt pursued Ostpolitik, a policy of improving relations with Eastern European states, including East Germany. He received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1971.