On November 9 the world celebrates the 25-th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. Its construction began in the summer of 1961, as a wire fence, and  it completely cut off by land West Berlin from surrounding East Germany and from East Berlin until it was opened on November 9, 1989.

Over the years the Wall was upgraded several times. 

The "fourth-generation wall", was the final and most sophisticated version of the Wall. Begun in the year 1975 and completed about 1980,it was constructed from 45 000 separate sections of reinforced concrete, each 3.6 metres high and 1.2 metres wide. The top of the wall was lined with a smooth pipe, intended to make it more difficult to scale. The wall was reinforced by mesh fencing, signal fencing, anti-vehicle trenches, barbed wire, dogs on long lines, "beds of nails" under balconies hanging over the "death strip", over 116 watchtowers and 20 bunkers.

During the years of the Wall, around 5 000 people successfully defected to West Berlin. The number of people who died trying to cross the wall, or as a result of the wall's existence, has been disputed. The most vocal claims by Alexandra Hildebrandt, Director of the Checkpoint Charlie Museum and widow of the Museum's founder, estimated the death toll to be well above 200. A historic research group at the Center for Contemporary Historical Research (ZZF) in Potsdam has confirmed 136 deaths. Prior official figures listed 98 as being killed.

If an escapee was wounded in a crossing attempt and lay on the death strip, no matter how close they were to the Western wall, Westerners could not intervene for fear of triggering engaging fire from the 'Grepos', the East Berlin border guards. The guards often let fugitives bleed to death in the middle of this ground, as in the most notorious failed attempt, that of Peter Fechter (aged 18). He was shot and bled to death, in full view of the Western media, on 17 August 1962. Fechter's death created negative publicity worldwide that led the leaders of East Berlin to place more restrictions on shooting in public places, and provide medical care for possible "would-be escapers". The last person to be shot and killed while trying to cross the border was Chris Gueffroy on 6 February 1989.

The 140 km Wall is probably the most poignant symbol of the Cold War and communist tyranny. Its fall marked the beginning of the end of communist regimes in Central and Eastern Europe.