August 13, 1961 and its Consequences – The History of the Berlin Wall

This documentary is also available in the German language version! Just click on the gear icon at the bottom right, open “Settings,” and select the audio track “German.” A large portion of the historical film footage was colorized afterward using AI. On August 13, 1961, East German border troops sealed off the eastern part of Berlin from the western sectors. What begins as a barbed-wire barrier quickly grows into one of the most grotesque structures in modern history: a wall with a death strip running right through the city. At first, there is sheer shock and disbelief—then come the first dramatic escape attempts. During his historic visit, John F. Kennedy offers words of encouragement to the people of Berlin. But it would take many more years before the policy of détente made the division at least somewhat more bearable... With unforgettable images that went around the world—and some film footage never before shown—Part 1 of the trilogy "The Berlin Wall" presents the historical and political context in a gripping way. The film also reveals what the Wall meant for the people who had to live with it, adapt to it, or—one way or another—wanted to overcome it... Chapters ▷ 0:00:00 – Intro ▷ 0:02:37 – The Berlin Wall Today ▷ 0:04:13 – Berlin 1949, Founding of West and East Germany ▷ 0:07:36 – Miss Germany, Bambi, Ku'damm ▷ 0:08:48 – 1958, May Day Rally in East Berlin ▷ 0:10:20 – Two Among Millions (1961) ▷ 0:11:25 – 1961, Escape from East Berlin ▷ 0:13:43 – President John F. Kennedy in Berlin ▷ 0:14:26 – August 13, 1961, Construction of the Berlin Wall ▷ 0:18:44 – Protests, Willy Brandt ▷ 0:20:17 – Western Powers in Berlin, Lyndon B. Johnson ▷ 0:22:32 – Konrad Adenauer ▷ 0:25:35 – Escape Attempts ▷ 0:31:24 – Tanks at Checkpoint Charlie ▷ 0:37:35 – June 26, 1963, John F. Kennedy: "Ich bin ein Berliner" ▷ 0:40:17 – Impressions ▷ 0:44:15 – 1963, Pass Agreement ▷ 0:45:57 – Border Guards ▷ 0:49:44 – Death Strip, Inner-German Border ▷ 0:51:42 – Fashion ▷ 0:52:53 – 1970, Willy Brandt and Willi Stoph ▷ 0:53:42 – 1971, Four-Power Agreement ▷ 0:55:17 – Resignation of Walter Ulbricht, Erich Honecker ▷ 0:57:18 – Living with the Wall ▷ 1:02:51 – Credits #berlin #berlinwall #division #gdr A film by Beate Schubert New colorization in 2024 by Jonas Hoge © 1999, Licensed by Pentagramm Filmproduktion, Berlin