West Berliners in an Eastern allotment: Ralf Haberstroh and his parents lived in the West Berlin district of Kreuzberg, but had a plot of land in the Empor allotment near the lake Kleiner Müggelsee. The morning of 13 August 1961 also marked the end of Ralf's friendship with the boy from the allotment next door, who shouted out: "They're finally building an anti-fascist protection wall!"
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.