Skip to main content

The rise and fall of the Berlin Wall - Konrad H. Jarausch

9,325,811 Views

39,248 Questions Answered

TEDEd Animation

Let’s Begin…

On August 13, 1961, construction workers began tearing up streets and erecting barriers in Berlin. This night marked the beginning of one of history’s most infamous dividing lines: the Berlin Wall. Construction continued for a decade as the wall cut through neighborhoods, separated families, and divided not just Germany, but the world. Konrad H. Jarausch details the history of the Berlin Wall.

Create and share a new lesson based on this one.

About TED-Ed Animations

TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »

Meet The Creators

  • Educator Konrad H. Jarausch
  • Director Kyriaki Kyriakou, Remus Buznea
  • Script Editor Alex Gendler
  • Animator Kyriaki Kyriakou, Remus Buznea, Mitko Karakolev
  • Art Director Kyriaki Kyriakou, Remus Buznea
Avatar for TED Ed
Lesson creator

by TED-Ed

Was the Wall an antifascist protection barrier as claimed in the East or a fundamental violation human rights as argued by the West?

Comments are closed on this discussion.

Avatar for Francela Morales Lopez
Lesson in progress

It is thought that the fall of the wall. It was so that all Burlins had the same rights and freedom as in West Berlin, also that they could unite and circulate freely. Francela Morales L.


Avatar for Cristell Ortiz
Lesson completed

I believe that the Berlin Wall was a violation of the basic rights of East Germans. Because they were not free, they remained locked up without being able to leave and even more so the conditions in which they lived, separating numerous families only because of a whim of the government's ideology. They did not respect the opinion of the other many who shared the way of thinking were killed others died of hunger.


Avatar for Janixa Espinoza
Lesson in progress

l think the construction of the wall caused the destruction of houses and the interruption of the flow of public transport from one part of the city to the other. Many families were separated during the 28 years that the wall stood.


Avatar for Camila mendoza
Lesson in progress

Separated families for economic interest and killed people who just wanted a better future are reasons where We can see a violation of human rights. Put limits on themselves and sought a one way that the society divided the peace will never be born. The West side saw their family die, they could feel weak, they couldn't save their blood. They should find a way where all the country will have benefits and the family will never be separated.


Avatar for Nayelee Tórrez Silva
Lesson in progress

From my point of view it was like a violation of people's rights. Because they took away all the rights that a person has, for example They couldn't walk freely, they couldn't get out, they were killed innocent and they had to keep quiet. I think that can only be called a violation of rights.


Avatar for Nayelee Tórrez Silva
Lesson in progress

From my point of view it was like a violation of people's rights. Because they took away all the rights that a person has, for example They couldn't walk freely, they couldn't get out, they were killed innocent and they had to keep quiet. I think that can only be called a violation of rights.


Avatar for Lucia Isabel de Jesús Mendoza Arce
Lesson completed

They should be prohibited from traveling, since the salieris were not so good and they did not have much freedom, this violated many human rights D:


Avatar for B RODRI
Lesson completed

In my point of view, it was a fundamental violation of humans rights. Just think about a wall, that could make people be afraid of doing what they wanted to do, that forced them to feel afraid of be free. Sadly we can see some cases like this in our actuality, maybe not exactly like a wall; but that separate the society. For example: the discrimination to others. People is discriminated for something that they like or something that they are, this is like a wall that the society built trying to separate a 'group' of people from others, to make them feel that they can't do or be something just for a ridiculous reason. I think that we need to make changes in the way that we are, learn about the past and be better in the future


Avatar for Diana Espinoza
Lesson completed

In my opinion I think that it was a fundamental violation, Because in the time that the wall was active 138 people were killed by the goverment, it was because some people wanted to get out at Germany's West. For example: This decision affected a lot of families since they could not see to their relatives, also this affected the East's economy. This decision had more consequences that benefit and mainly it got dead, many people who traveled out of necessity.


Avatar for Nathaly Rocha
Lesson completed

It was a fundamental violation of human rights. In the East there was no freedom and the quality of life wasn't very good. In addition, many families were separated, and people from the east couldn't visit their relatives in the west. A similar case is that of North and South Korea, which unfortunately continues today. It's very sad to see how selfishness and radical ideologies in the world causes things like this. I hope things like this don't happen in the future. We need to learn from history and not repeat it again.

Loading...

More from The World's People and Places