The Berlin Wall went up on August 13, 1961. It became a powerful symbol of the Cold War and the division between East and West Germany. The wall was erected by the East German government to prevent East Germans from defecting to the West, as many were fleeing to escape the oppressive communist regime. The wall physically divided Berlin and led to widespread restrictions on movement. Its construction intensified tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union. The Berlin Wall stood for 28 years until its fall in 1989, marking a pivotal moment in the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe.