Does anyone know why people did not just walk around the Berlin Wall instead of trying to go over or under it?

Answer 1

The Berlin Wall was not just a wall. It was a very heavily guarded and fortified area patrolled by armed guards. Either side of the wall were mined areas constantly watched by guadrs in machine gun towers with electrified fences preventing access to the wall itself. Anyone approaching the wall was shot without question. Also the wall wasn't just in Berlin. The Wall was over 155 km (96 miles) long. In June 1962, work started on a second parallel fence up to 91 meters (100 yards) further into East German territory, with houses in between the fences torn down and their inhabitants relocated. A no man's land was created between the two barriers, which became widely known as the "death strip". It was paved with raked gravel, making it easy to spot footprints left by escapees; it offered no cover; it was booby-trapped with tripwires; and, most importantly, it offered a clear field of fire to the watching guards.

Over the years, the Wall went through four distinct phases:

Basic wire fence (1961)
Improved wire fence (1962-1965)
Concrete wall (1965-1975)
Grenzmauer 75 (Border Wall 75) (1975-1989)

The "fourth generation wall", known officially as "Stützwandelement UL 12.11"(Retaining wall element UL 12.11), was the final and most sophisticated version of the Wall. Begun in 1975 and completed about 1980, it was constructed from 45,000 separate sections of reinforced concrete, each 3.6 m (12 ft) high and 1.2 m (4 ft) wide, and cost 16,155,000 East German Marks. The top of the wall was lined with a smooth pipe, intended to make it more difficult for escapers to scale it. It was reinforced by mesh fencing, signal fencing, anti-vehicle trenches, barbed wire, over 116 watchtowers, and twenty bunkers. This version of the Wall is the one most commonly seen in photographs, and surviving fragments of Wall in Berlin and elsewhere around the world are generally pieces of the fourth-generation Wall.

Answer 2

Berlin is a vivant, passionately and addictive city, a city that is only great for spend the vacation. Find out more with hotelbye . In Berlin you'll just appreciate its well-known views, its huge swathes of natural, their sky bars and chic restaurants. Berlin is a important centre of politics, culture, media, and science. Observed for its ethnic flair, Berlin is house to the planet famous Berlin Opera and Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, while its diverse art world encompasses hundreds of galleries, activities, and museums, including these centred on Museum Island, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. But, nothing says Berlin like the Brandenburg Gate, extended the city's many defining monument and their reply to the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. Brandenburg Gate was developed for King Frederick Wilhelm II in 1791 and today en times remain an essential mark with many famous visitors like: Bill Clinton and Barack Obama.

Answer 3

The Berlin wall completely enclosed West Berlin, closing it off to the rest of Berlin and East Germany.

Answer 4

Could be one's fear of being shot - as many were!

Answer 5

It was heavily guarded.