The Berlin Wall
My most vivid memory of Germany was the Berlin Wall. It was designed specifically to prevent anyone from escaping East Berlin. The wall was 15 feet (five meters) high, and topped by cylindrical concrete which ran along the top, in order to prevent anyone from getting a grip on the top edge. It was painted white, so anyone who actually made it to the wall would be silhouetted and visible at night. On the East Berlin side was a patch of ground 300 yards (274 meters) wide which contained land mines, trip wires, listening devices, and tank traps. Armed guards patrolled the areas near the wall with attack dogs who were trained to kill. Guards kept watch from watch towers spaced at regular intervals along the wall. There were also television cameras covering the whole area in case anyone escaped detection from the guards and dogs. On the western side of the wall, there were no such barriers....
