While the building of the Wall was a horrific event of global significance, it also turned a teenager's everyday life upside down. On 13 August 1961 Monika Flindt was a happy-go-lucky young woman dancing to rock n' roll at a party in the Eastern district of Köpenick. That night she was expected home on time - in Lichtenrade in the Western part of the city.
In 2011, to mark the 50th anniversary of the Wall going up, the rbb interviewed Berliners to find out what the division of the city meant to them. The Wall had a profound impact on the way each person went about their daily lives - no matter what side they found themselves on. Overnight people were cut off from their friends and relatives, from their offices, factories and schools, and from places where they enjoyed spending their leisure time. The division of the city tore families apart, ruptured biographies and claimed many lives.