The Fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 was a pivotal moment in world history, marking the end of the Cold War and the reunification of Germany. The Berlin Wall was a physical barrier constructed by the German Democratic Republic (GDR) in 1961 to prevent citizens of East Berlin from escaping to the West. The wall became a symbol of the Cold War, and its fall in 1989 has been seen as a symbol of the end of the Cold War.