The significance of the Berlin Wall, constructed in 1961 and demolished in 1989, lies in its representation as a powerful symbol of the Cold War's ideological divide between East and West. The wall separated East Berlin, controlled by the communist regime of East Germany, from West Berlin, a bastion of capitalism and democracy. It starkly illustrated the tensions of the Cold War, with the wall serving to prevent mass defection from the East to the West. Its fall marked not only the end of physical division but also symbolized the collapse of communist regimes in Eastern Europe, heralding the Cold War's conclusion.