The construction of the Berlin Wall began on August 13, 1961. This momentous event was a response by the East German government to stop the mass emigration of East Germans to West Berlin and beyond, which had been causing significant demographic and economic concerns for the communist state. The Wall physically and symbolically divided East and West Berlin, becoming a powerful representation of the Cold War's ideological divisions. Its construction marked a significant turning point in East-West relations, and its eventual fall in 1989 symbolized the decline of communist influence in Eastern Europe, leading to the reunification of Germany and significant geopolitical changes.