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Episode 1

On the Berlin Wall's 50th anniversary, Gerry Northam looks at its political context and its human consequences.

On Sunday 13 August 1961, East Berliners awoke to find telephone wires cut and the beginnings of a wall which ultimately extended for over 100 miles and separated them from family, friends and jobs for 28 years.

In so doing, it became a potent symbol of the Cold War.

On the 50th anniversary of the Berlin Wall going up, Gerry Northam examines the wall’s political context and re-visits the day which signified the peak of the Cold War, the constant threat of nuclear war, and the human price paid for yet more failed ideologies.

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23 minutes

Last on

Sun 21 Aug 2011 13:05GMT

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  • Tue 16 Aug 2011 08:05GMT
  • Tue 16 Aug 2011 12:05GMT
  • Tue 16 Aug 2011 15:05GMT
  • Tue 16 Aug 2011 19:05GMT
  • Wed 17 Aug 2011 01:05GMT
  • Sun 21 Aug 2011 13:05GMT