The Berlin Wall began to be constructed on August 13, 1961. This wall became a powerful symbol of the Cold War and the division between East and West Berlin. Its purpose was to prevent East Germans from fleeing to the West, which they were increasingly doing due to better living conditions and political freedom. The construction of the wall intensified geopolitical tensions between the Soviet Union and the Western powers, representing the physical and ideological divide of the era. The wall was eventually demolished in 1989, marking a significant turning point in the history of Europe and the Cold War.