The Berlin Wall famously divided East and West Berlin for decades, serving as a powerful symbol of the Cold War. Erected in 1961, the wall physically and ideologically separated the communist East from the democratic West, reflecting the broader geopolitical tensions between the Soviet Union and Western powers. It was initially constructed to prevent the mass emigration of East Germans to the West. Over the years, the Berlin Wall became a site of significant political resistance, with many attempting to escape. Its fall in 1989 marked the beginning of the end for communist regimes in Eastern Europe and paved the way for German reunification.