August 13, 1961 · Europe Theater
August 13, 1961
In the predawn hours of August 13, 1961, East German soldiers began sealing the border between East and West Berlin with barbed wire — within days replaced by concrete. The Wall was built to stop the hemorrhage of East Germans fleeing to the West: 3.5 million had escaped since 1945, including the doctors, engineers, and teachers the communist state could not replace. Over 28 years, approximately 140 people were killed attempting to cross the Wall — shot by East German border guards.
Commanders