“The Berlin Wall (German: Berliner Mauer) was a barrier constructed by the German Democratic Republic (GDR, East Germany) starting on 13 August 1961, that completely cut off West Berlin from surrounding East Germany and from East Berlin. The barrier included guard towers placed along large concrete walls, which circumscribed a wide area (later known as the “death strip”) that contained anti-vehicle trenches, “fakir beds” and other defenses. The Soviet-dominated Eastern Bloc officially claimed that the wall was erected to protect its population from fascist elements conspiring to prevent the “will of the people” in building a socialist state in East Germany. However, in practice, the Wall served to prevent the massive emigration and defection that marked Germany and the communist Eastern Bloc during the post-World War II period”. – Wikipedia

Photo: West Berlin policemen and East German Volkspolizei face each other across the border in Berlin, circa 1955. (Photo by Three Lions/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Kira Walkenhorst of Germany (L) signals as Doaa Elghobashy of Egypt (R) watches during the women's Beach Volleyball preliminary pool D game between Ludwig/Walkenhors of Germany and Elghobashy/Nada of Egypt the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Beach Volleyball Arena on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 07 August 2016. (Photo by Antonio Lacerda/ANSA)

Members of the new BFEplus anti-terror unit of the German federal police holds a G36C automatic weapon after taking part in a capabilities demonstration at a police training facility on December 16, 2015 in Ahrensfelde, Germany. The BFEplus, whose acronym stands for Beweissicherungs und Festnahme Einheit, or Evidence Safeguarding and Arrest Unit, is to support the GSG9 police special forces unit in containing domestic terror threats. Germany is on high-alert following the November Paris terror attacks and a credible threat at the Germany vs. Holland football match in Hanover. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

Activists protest against the upcoming visit of Pope Benedict XVI on the eve of his arrival on September 21,2011 in Berlin, Germany. A variety of groups, including the poltically left-wing as well as gay and lesbian rights advocates, partook in the demonstration. The Pope is scheduled to visit Germany from September 22–25. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

The Rainbow Warrior III, the newest ship of the enivornmental conservation organization Greenpeace, makes its way to port on the Elbe River on October 20, 2011 in Hamburg, Germany. The Rainbow Warrior III, 53 meters long, designed by Greenpeace and built in Poland and Germany, is a EUR 23 million project completed last week. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

Tree trunks lie on the railtracks that will be used to transport nuclear waste on November 25, 2011 in Leitstade, near Metzingen, Germany. A train carrying the Castor containers of processed, spent nuclear fuel started from La Hague in France Wednesday for its journey to the Gorleben temporary nuclear waste storage facility in Germany, and thousands of protesters are expected to attempt to blockade the route. (Photo by Carsten Koall/Getty Images)

Models present creations by fashion design students of the Taiwanese Shih Chien university at the Berlin Fashion Week Autumn/Winter 2016 in Berlin, Germany, January 22, 2016. (Photo by Fabrizio Bensch/Reuters)

German car manufacturer BMW presents the “Vision Next 100” concept car during the 100th anniversary celebrations in Munich, Germany, Monday, March 7, 2016. (Photo by Matthias Schrader/AP Photo)