Product Review

This e-single recounts the fall of the Berlin Wall through a selection of New York Times news coverage. Construction of the Berlin Wall began in 1961 with the purpose of sealing off West Berlin to prevent East German defection. It stood as a symbol of Communist repression and of the Cold War for almost three decades. The dramatic and celebratory circumstances surrounding the opening of its gates in 1989 were fueled by the reforms of Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev.