27
votes
Accepted
What was the economic basis for West Berlin?
how did it stay competitive with West Germany, which would be free of West Berlin's particular logistical challenges? Or were they being directly subsidized by the Federal Republic and/or the western ...
- 5,607
25
votes
How and why was the boundary between West and East Berlin decided to be where it was?
The initial decision to divide Berlin into sectors was made around the 12th of September 1944 by the European Advisory Commission (EAC).
E.A.C. (44) 9th Meeting
Berlin Area (as shown on the annexed ...
- 9,686
19
votes
Accepted
How were East German citizens who defected to West Berlin able to travel to the rest of West Germany? (If at all)
Leaving the East German Democratic Republik without a permit or not returning after an allowed stay was a crime, punishable by a prison sentence of up to two years. If a defector later entered the ...
- 6,357
18
votes
Accepted
How were the West Berlin air corridors negotiated?
As the documents establishing (internal organization of) the BASC and the initial flight rules show, these were "mini-agreements" signed within the framework of the Allied Control Council ...
- 5,539
17
votes
What was meant by the protest sign "Bundestag nach Berlin"?
That can mean two different things:
A call to relocate the parliament seat from provisional Bonn to the old capital: like it was done after 1990. Small problem with that: The Reichstag was in ruins. ...
- 80.7k
13
votes
How and why was the boundary between West and East Berlin decided to be where it was?
In short: Political compromise based on economic and primarily logistical considerations slowly solidified over the initially symbolic and political reasons.
Kliment Voroshilov formed the crucial ...
- 80.7k
10
votes
What was meant by the protest sign "Bundestag nach Berlin"?
This is a call for solidarity after the building of the Wall in Berlin.
In the 1950's the Bundestag met in Berlin, expressing the political will, that Berlin (West) was a part of the Federal Republic ...
- 9,686
8
votes
How were the West Berlin air corridors negotiated?
In particular, why didn't the Soviets refuse to allow air corridors?
"Refusing to allow" would have required the Soviets to enforce that refusal. In other words, having just completed a war ...
- 2,547
6
votes
Accepted
Elevated walkway in background at 1980s Potsdamer Platz seen in Wim Wenders' film “Der Himmel über Berlin”
It has to be this picture, or better scene (video clip), from Wings of Desire:
DER HIMMEL ÜBER BERLIN, brd, frankreich 1987
But then we have a certain problem:
Filming took place at ...
- 80.7k
6
votes
During the Berlin Blockade, why didn't the people in West Berlin just go over to buy food in East Berlin?
Note that food was rationed at that time, not generally bought.
Wikipedia says, emphasis mine:
In response, starting on 1 August, the Soviets offered free food to anyone who crossed into East ...
- 14k
5
votes
How were the West Berlin air corridors negotiated?
During the Conference Between Marshal Zhukov and Soviet Representatives, General Clay and US Representatives, General Weeks and British Representatives at Marshal Zhukov’s Headquarters on June 29, ...
- 9,686
3
votes
Is there evidence that communists supplied drugs to West Berlin?
I found some news reports from the 1970s saying that the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) had evidence that heroin was being smuggled into West Berlin, and that the smuggling was being done ...
- 77.2k
2
votes
How and why was the boundary between West and East Berlin decided to be where it was?
Other answers have provided official historical documents related to the question. Yet nowhere is the rationale stated of how the boundaries were decided. I will offer a chain of reasoning instead , ...
- 121
2
votes
How were the West Berlin air corridors negotiated?
The London Protocol in September 1944 established the occupation zone boundaries which later became the East—West German border and the West Berlin periphery. However, it was not until the early days ...
- 131
2
votes
Accepted
How could West Berlin had access West Germany/world while the wall was up?
After World War II, four allied powers divided Germany into four occupation zones. The American, British, and French zones became the Federal Republic of Germany (BRD/FRG, West Germany) and the Soviet ...
- 17.4k
2
votes
During the Berlin Blockade, why didn't the people in West Berlin just go over to buy food in East Berlin?
After WW2, the German currency (The Reichsmark) took a large hit in value, both due to losing the war, and the Soviets continuing to print RMs (precisely to prevent the economic recovery of Germany). ...
- 405
2
votes
During the Berlin Blockade, why didn't the people in West Berlin just go over to buy food in East Berlin?
West Berlin wasn't just shut off to the Allies, it was under total blockade. Quoting from the relevant Wikipedia article:
On 24 June, the Soviets severed land and water connections between the
...
- 22k
2
votes
What was the economic basis for West Berlin?
Your question is legitimate and in fact the unique state of West-Berlin had much influence what would happen in the Future.
The city was depopulating. Berlin lost nearly half a million people from ...
- 5,116
2
votes
What set Checkpoint Charlie apart from the other border checkpoints in Berlin during the Cold War?
The last known escape at a crossing point was actually at this checkpoint on the 18th August 1989. 2 persons hid inside the trunk of an Allied vehicle.
There was also specific crossing points where ...
- 9,686
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible