For twenty-eight years, the Berlin Wall separated friends, families, and a nation.
             After the second World War in 1945, the victorious Allies, the US, Britain, France,
             Russia divided Germany into four sectors, each under the control of an ally. The US,
             British, and French Sectors combined to form a democratic state, The Federal Republic of
             Germany, or West Germany. The Soviet sector became a communist state, The German
             Democratic Republic, or East Germany, on October 7, 1949.
             A barrier now separated east and West. Winston Churchill named this barrier the
             Iron Curtain. Even though Berlin lay deep within the Soviet sector, the Allies thought it
             best to divide this metropolis. Therefore Berlin was also divided into four sectors. Again
             the US, British, and French Sectors combined to form West Berlin. The Soviet sector
             became the East German capital, East Berlin.The governments of these two new countries
             were set up by the occupying forces, not the populous. Most of the residents of East
             Berlin and East Germany did not like the communist regime. In fact, most people were
             The Berlin Wall, though not part of the iron curtain, was a reminder of it. The
             wall was made of steel, cement, and barbed wire fences with traps and explosives. There
             were guard towers with machine guns and other weapons. It was almost impossible to
             cross this barrier without the communist government's permission.
             Conrad Shuman was a nineteen year old border guard when he witnessed families
             tearfully separated. He realized he was not protecting his country, but imprisoning its
             people. Three Days after the border was closed, he leapt to freedom.
             The people of East Germany became dissatisfied with the economic and political
             conditions of the German Democratic Republic (GDR). Private trade was outlawed, as
             was the ownership of private land. People were forced to work on collective state owned
             farms. There were food and su...