Berlin was the city divided during the Cold War, split into East Berlin and West Berlin. This division symbolized the broader ideological struggle between the capitalist West and the communist East. Following World War II, Germany was split into two distinct political entities in 1949, forming part of the larger context of the Cold War. East Berlin was controlled by the Soviet Union, while West Berlin was aligned with Western nations. The Berlin Wall, erected in 1961, became a powerful symbol of this division, representing the division of Europe and the struggle for freedom until its fall in 1989.