Portland Public Library

Rise and fall of the Berlin Wall, ZDF Enterprises ; produced by Loopfilm for History ; director, Oliver Halmburger

eng

videorecording

Rise and fall of the Berlin Wall

466442491

ZDF Enterprises ; produced by Loopfilm for History ; director, Oliver Halmburger

94

On one night in August 1961, a few railway cars and a lot of barbed wire were moved into position in Berlin, dividing East Germany from West. It was a barrier that would be extended and become increasingly more sophisticated over the 18 years of its existence, a technological counter to each escape attempt. In this feature length special, History uses a computer imagery to reconstruct how the wall grew from a meager obstacle to a 97 mile barrier of concrete slabs, watchtowers and guards. It charts the rise and then the sudden fall of the wall on Nov. 9, 1989. Rise And Fall Of The Berlin Wall is filled with first-person accounts of escapes by any means possible, including tunnels, hot air balloons, wind surfing, bi-planes and a cable railway. Other interviews with people who were there during the rise and fall of one of history's most dramatic symbols of the Cold War included historians, journalists, East German guards, and diplomats. - PublisherComputer-generated imagery, re-enactments, archival footage, and expert commentary provide political and historical context while helping to illustrate how construction of the Berlin Wall progressed over time--and how it was suddenly demolished by civilians in 1989

Introduction -- A city divided -- Checkpoint Charlie -- Death zone -- Daring escape -- Breaking into the East -- Absent without leave -- Up and away -- High wire -- Wall 2000 -- Brothers in flight -- End of the wall

live action