Between 1945 and 1961, 2.7 million people escaped East Germany, including 200,000 in 1960 alone. An order to build the Berlin Wall was given on Sunday, Aug. 13, 1961, construction began Aug. 16, 1961, and it was completed two months later. Initially it was a 6 ft. high brick barrier topped with barbed wire, and in 1970 it was raised to a 10 ft. steel-reinforced concrete wall extending 103 miles. About 200 East Germans were killed trying to escape. Most artwork on the wall was done at night, and for one artist, darkness held light, despair revealed the Word of God, and repression inspired hope for freedom. The wall fell on November 9, 1989.

Photo: William Fischer, Jr.

Photo: William Fischer, Jr.

Eureka Springs, Arkansas · USA