The Berlin Wall was erected in the year 1961, symbolizing the profound division between East and West Germany. It physically and ideologically represented the Cold War tensions, separating the communist East from the capitalist West. The Wall served not only to prevent East Germans from fleeing to the West but also became a powerful symbol of oppression and a focal point for anti-communist sentiments. Its eventual fall in 1989 marked the beginning of the end for the Cold War era and the reunification of Germany.