Archive 1961: Berlin Boundary Is Sealed

Peter Woods reports from Berlin on witnessing the boundary between East and West being sealed with a concrete wall.

Construction of the Berlin Wall began in darkness during the early hours of 13 August 1961. On 23 August, access between East and West Berlin was closed to all citizens. Temporary access by foreign visitors was permitted under controlled conditions. The barrier consisted of two walls with an area (or corridor) in between that was heavily guarded and a trench was also dug to prevent escape by vehicle.