The lie that became a wall

In June 1961, Walter Ulbricht declared: « Niemand hat die Absicht, eine Mauer zu errichten. » (« Nobody has the intention of building a wall. ») Two months later, on August 13, Berlin was divided in two.

This DW History and Culture film draws on the archival footage of filmmaker Ernst Wollenberg. It shows what that lie produced: families torn apart, a symbol of German division for 28 years, at least 140 people dead trying to cross, and more than 5,000 who made it to the West.

DW History and Culture, « History Stories. » Report by Angela Volkner.