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 From Division to Reunification |
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Febuary 11, 1945: Yalta Conference ends. May 8, 1945: World War II is over and Berlin is divided into 4 sectors: the American, British, French in the West and the Soviet in the East. July 17, 1945: Potsdam Conference Starts. August 2, 1945: Potsdam Proclamation agreed upon. October 29, 1946: A 30 day valid Interzonenpass is required to travel between the sectors in Germany. June 25, 1948: Berlin Airlift begins. May 24, 1949: Federal Republic of Germany is founded (West Germany). September 30, 1949: Berlin Airlift ends. October 7, 1949: German Democratic Republic is founded (East Germany). May 26, 1952: Border between East and West Germany and between East Germany and West Berlin is closed. Only the border between East and West Berlin is still opened. November 14, 1953: The Western powers waive the Interzonenpass, the Soviet Union follows but East German citizen need a permission to travel to the West. December 11, 1957: Leaving East Germany without permission is forbidden and violations are prosecuted with prison up to three years. August 13, 1961: The Berlin sectorial border between East and West Berlin is closed, barriers are built. August 14, 1961: Brandenburg Gate is closed. August 26, 1961: All crossing points are closed for West Berlin citizens. June 26, 1963: President J. F. Kennedy visits Berlin and proclaims: “Ich bin ein Berliner.” (“I am a Berliner.”) December 17, 1963: West Berliner citizens may visit East Berlin the first time after more than two years. June 12, 1987: President Ronald Reagan visits Berlin and urges Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev to tear down the Berlin Wall. September 10, 1989: Hungarian government opens border for East German refugees. November 9, 1989: Berlin Wall is opened. December 22, 1989: Brandenburg Gate is opened. October 3, 1990: Germany is reunited." (http://www.dailysoft.com/berlinwall/history/berlinwall-timeline.htm) |
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