Exploring German History: From the Berlin Wall to the Roman Empire

 Germany experienced rapid economic and structural development during the 19th century due to its geographic position; trade opened up quickly through new cities; new political parties emerged to give workers a voice; however, Bismarck, King Wilhelm's Iron Chancellor was opposed.

After World War II ended, Germany was divided into Occupation Zones.

The Berlin Wall: Symbol of Divided Germany

As soon as World War II ended, Britain, France and the Soviet Union held high-level discussions about how best to administer Germany. They decided that it should be divided into zones of occupation: British-French-US zones would become West Germany while Soviet zones became East Germany.

Prior to the construction of the Wall, Berliners on both sides could move freely: crossing borders at work or school, attending movies and theater shows and using both trains and buses freely. But once constructed, this access was no longer possible.

Beginning as just a barbed wire fence, escapees found ways through weak points in it to reach West Berlin by jumping, burrowing or climbing their way across. Over time, however, the barrier became more permanent with concrete sections and checkpoints such as Helmstedt ("Checkpoint Alpha"), Dreilinden ("Checkpoint Bravo") and Friedrichstrasse (also known as "Checkpoint Charlie"). By 1989 it had prevented all but a handful of emigrations before finally being dismantled in 1991--with this collection showcasing everyday life inside Berlin as well as protests against it!

Reunification: Germany's Historic Turning Point

Germany reunited in 1990, an event that marked a pivotal point in World War II and marked an era of economic prosperity for decades to come. But its unification also raised many questions regarding Germany as a leader both regionally and globally.

Before the 19th century, Germans did not share a strong sense of common identity or national belonging. Instead, they comprised an array of tribes, city states and duchies that often did not get along well together.

As soon as a new generation took control, they set about to change that. Starting by demolishing the Berlin Wall - an iconic symbol that had long divided their nation - they worked toward other political and social changes such as unifying currency usage and opening borders so travelers could travel between sides.

The Roman Empire and Germanic Tribes: Clash and Convergence

The interaction between Roman imperial culture and Germanic tribes was an iconic moment that left an indelible imprint on European history - as well as on our languages today.

Tribal people's passion for battle was tied to their religious practices; Wodan and Thor were believed to be gods of war, while an afterlife and reincarnation were also widely held beliefs.

Tacitus stands out among Roman writers by not demeaning Germanic ways of life, portraying their tribesmen as strong yet chaste and healthy individuals.

Tacitus reports that while they did keep slaves, Tacitus describes how the kings managed them more like landowners would manage tenant farmers. Furthermore, he mentions them legislating and appointing judges.

Barbarians to Kingdoms: Germanic Influence on Rome

Following the fall of Rome, Germanic tribes separated into distinct states under independent princes and cities, emerging into what was then known as "Germanies." Only centuries later would these smaller polities unify into one of medieval Europe's great kingdoms.

Germanic warriors were legendary, their passion for war being deeply ingrained into their culture by worshiping Wodan and Thor. These groups battled over resources and prestige within a clan-based system that stressed family values.

Tacitus, for instance, praised Germanic women as excellent mothers because they raised their offspring themselves rather than passing them off to wet nurses and slaves. Furthermore, they maintained a hospitality system on semireligious lines which saw families open up their homes to guests while providing food and protection.

By the 3rd century BCE (CE), border raids between Germanic tribes and Roman Legionaries had become common, yet things dramatically shifted when Germanic warrior Arminius defeated three Roman legions at Battle of Teutoburg Forest in 9 CE (AD).

Charlemagne and the Holy Roman Empire

At one time during medieval Europe's Middle Ages, much of Germany was included in King Charlemagne's Frankish empire. Following his death in 814 however, his empire began dissolving into numerous duchies, kingdoms, and principalities.

The Thirty Years' War was both religious and state-based in nature and caused considerable devastation across Europe, killing up to two-thirds of some populations in some regions. It also saw power shift away from Emperor Charles V to more influential secular and ecclesiastical princes while Hanse, an alliance of free towns which traded among themselves, gained significant strength.

After World War II, Germany was divided between zones occupied by American, British, and French troops in western Germany (Federal Republic of Germany) and the communist German Democratic Republic in eastern Germany. West Germany's inaugural chancellor was Christian Democrat Konrad Adenauer; economic recovery during the 1950s saw large-scale migration between East and West Germany until the construction of the Berlin Wall in 1961 halted any migration patterns.

Martin Luther and the Protestant Reformation

Germans tend to see political change as an opportunity, and the Protestant Reformation of the 1500s was no different. This religious reform movement began with Martin Luther's Ninety Five Theses against Indulgences which challenged scholastic theology in his country church of Wittenberg's castle church door nailed with public disputations, sparking academic discussion over these statements nailed to its door by way of public arguments or disputations.

Conflict with Rome escalated rapidly due to growing grievances and Johannes Gutenberg's moveable-type printing press introduced decades earlier, propelling Germany toward becoming Europe's foremost power. Through writings like his, Germany quickly developed as a media power. Meanwhile, Pope Leo X became Europe's foremost figure.

Though the Reformation eventually divided Christianity into Catholic and Protestant branches, its ideas had profound impacts throughout Europe. They resulted in strengthened universities, Lutheran church music by J.S. Bach and baroque altarpieces by Pieter Paul Rubens--not to mention fuelling future racial hatred and global conquest.

The Thirty Years' War: Germany's Long Conflict

German conflicts raged with far-reaching consequences in an increasingly ideologically antagonistic global arena, leading to cities being sacked, villages destroyed and civilians subjected to mass devastation and death - often from poisoning, famine or disease rather than cannon fire or musket bullets.

The Thirty Years' War began as a religious conflict between the Holy Roman Emperor's zeal for Catholicism and northern Protestant states who rebelled against him, as battles ensued and German princes aligned themselves with either side in an effort to gain territory and power.

The Thirty Years' War came to an end with the unification of the Holy Roman Empire and the implementation of the Peace of Augsburg, granting Protestants freedom of religion within principalities. Subsequently, America, Britain and France (together with Soviet Russia) divided up postwar Germany into separate zones; Berlin lay deep within Soviet control.

World Wars to Rebuilding: Germany's Transformation

After World War II, the victorious Allies divided Germany into zones of occupation based on American, British, and Soviet power - each controlling different sections of Germany including Berlin itself - thus giving rise to Western and Eastern Germany respectively.

At first, many Allies were reluctant to fully rebuild a German economy. Their fear was that permitting German manufacturers to acquire heavy industry could prompt further militaristic ambitions by the country itself and that an expanded German state might drain resources from other European states and thus slow recovery efforts in general.

At last, however, the Allies realized that Germany's revival was vital to Europe's economic stability. Therefore, they seized much of Germany's manufacturing equipment and placed restrictions to ensure only those countries who occupied Germany had access to technologies which might produce weapons of mass destruction.

Over the decades that followed, occupying powers progressively eased tensions and eventually eliminated borders between East and West Germany. By 1989, Germany had joined international society as one united Federal Republic.