East Germans and the Berlin Wall: Popular Opinion and Social Change before and after the Border Closure of August 1961
Author(s)
Ross, Corey
Abstract
East German society faced mounting crises during the years leading up to the construction of the Berlin Wall in August 1961. The country was plagued by a shortage of consumer goods and a growing number of persons fleeing to the West. The closure of the border during the night of 12-13 August 1961, which caught most observers by surprise, affected East Germany’s social and economic life. Having constructed the wall, the government was able to exert greater control, but at the same time it moved away from revolutionary zeal toward social consensus.
