The purpose of the Berlin Wall, erected in 1961, was to prevent East Germans from fleeing to West Berlin and, by extension, to West Germany. The Wall became a powerful symbol of the Cold War divide between the communist Eastern Bloc and the democratic West. It effectively separated families and friends, restricting freedoms and movement for those living in East Germany. The Berlin Wall stood until 1989, when its fall signified the collapse of communist regimes in Eastern Europe and heralded a new era of democracy in the region, ultimately leading to the reunification of Germany.