When the Wall goes up, Renate Reich is in East Berlin. Her father, a businessman with a printing works in the West Berlin district of Gesundbrunnen, promises to get her over, whatever it takes. As a West Berliner, he can still go to East Berlin and plans to smuggle Renate over in his car. But two days after the Wall goes up, cars are no longer allowed across the border. The last gaps are gradually closing and time is running out.
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.