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For almost 30 years, the Berlin Wall was a symbol of the division of the city of Berlin, of Germany, of Europe, and of the world during the era of the Cold War. Consequently, the fall of the Wall in 1989 was a hugely symbolic turning point in world history. But how can we explain the building of such a dividing monument? How can we account for its fall in 1989? And how has the Wall been influencing our lives until the present day? The course will provide answers to such questions via readings of texts from political science, sociology, and history, while also taking the opportunity to explore the grounds on which the events between 1961 and 1989 took place. After a brief introduction to the historical and ideological backgrounds of the Cold War, this course will turn to an analysis of the event history of the Berlin Wall: from the end of World War II via the formation of two blocs until the building of the Berlin Wall, from the building of the Wall via its fall in 1989 until today. In addition, we will focus on the social, economic, and (popular) cultural history of the two German states and Germany since re-unification.
Finally, to complete the picture of the history of the German/Berlin division and the Cold War, participants will conduct interviews with Berliners in the former East and West of the city on how they experienced the age of the Wall, the coming down of the Wall in 1989, and the aftermath of 1989.
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