Beatlemania and the Rolling Stones

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Young people are crazy about the Beatles and not just because of their music - much to the bemusement of many older Berliners.

The Rolling Stones give a legendary concert in the West Berlin venue, the Waldbühne. The fans leave a trail of destruction in their wake.

East Berlin quickly uses the incident in its propaganda war against the West, classifying beat music as a decadent, Western influence and banning numerous bands.

locations

Berlin-West, Waldbühne

showtime
56

latitude
52.51582913

longitude
13.2291913
Berlin-Ost, Friedrichstadt-Palast

showtime
5

latitude
52.52378067

longitude
13.38827848
Berlin-Ost

showtime
80

latitude
52.5158874

longitude
13.3999445

date

1965
Studio at the Barbed Wire

West Berlin's authorities mount illuminated display boards on the GSW housing association high-rise near the Wall in an attempt to provide East Berliners with news from the West. The Studio at the Barbed Wire was launched by the Berlin Senate in 1961 in cooperation with the American sector's radio station, RIAS Berlin: their goal is to provide information and news across the Wall in response to the propaganda blaring out of the GDR's speaker vans. This sparks a conflict dubbed the "speaker war", which does not end until October 1965. Wolfgang Göbel was responsible for designing the display boards on the GSW housing association high-rise back then.

Border, Contemporary Witnesses, Politics, West, East

01:54
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1965
Escaping in a Cadillac

The Wall is becoming harder to cross by the day. Despite all the risks involved, there are still people who are desperate to flee to the West and people willing to help them escape. Burkhart Veigel, a medicine student at the time, has worked as an escape helper since 1961. Together with other helpers, he enables 650 people to get from East to West, making him one of the most successful helpers. As well as digging tunnels, he also converts cars into escape vehicles. The most well-known: the converted Cadillac, which allowed many people to escape, hidden behind the dashboard.

Border, Escaping, Contemporary Witnesses, West, East

01:31
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June 15, 1965
A boat trip with a fatal outcome

Forty-two-year-old West Berliner Hermann Döbler sets out on a boat trip and is shot when he accidentally crosses into GDR territory. His boat enters GDR waters on Teltow Canal near Dreilinden border crossing point. After firing warning shots from their watchtower, the GDR border guards aim directly at Hermann and his companion – even though they have already turned around their boat. Hermann Döbler dies. Large numbers of Berliners attend his funeral a few days later. In 1993 the guard who fired the fatal shots was convicted of manslaughter and attempted manslaughter and sentenced to six years in prison. His superior, who had issued the order to fire, was sentenced to two years on probation.

Border, Politics, West, East

01:36
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May 18, 1965
The Queen visits Berlin

On Ascension Day, Queen Elizabeth II spends a few hours in West Berlin. More than a million people line the streets to cheer on the British monarch. She is greeted with the same enthusisam as US President John F. Kennedy two years previously. Elizabeth II reviews a parade of British troops on the Olympic Stadium's Mayfield and passes by Pariser Platz and the Soviet War Memorial on Strasse des 17. Juni. At the end of her visit she signs the city's Golden Book at Schöneberg Town Hall.

Everyday Life, Politics, West

00:53
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April 07, 1965
Controversial session of the Bundestag in West Berlin

The Bundestag holds session in West Berlin, causing huge disruptions to transit traffic and threatening gestures from the Soviets. They do not view West Berlin as part of the Federal Republic. Soviet jets fly low over the city, disturbing the session. The GDR prohibits the members of the Bundestag from passing through its territory and temporarily suspends all transit traffic, claiming the autobahn is needed for military manoeuvres. Drivers are forced to wait in queues for 20 hours. The members of the Bundestag travel to West Berlin by plane and the session is held in the Kongresshalle conference venue in Tiergarten, which today houses the Haus der Kulturen der Welt. The Western allies lodge an objection with the West German Federal Government and veto future sessions of the Bundestag in West Berlin. In the 1971 Berlin Four Power Agreement, the Western allies pledge to allow no further plenary sessions of the Bundestag in Berlin. It will be another 25 years before German MPs hold session there again – after the fall of the Wall.

Politics, West, East

00:56
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1966
Animal airlift

Foot-and-mouth disease is raging across the Federal Republic. As a result, East Berlin has banned the transportation of animals through the GDR, meaning they must be flown in to the city.

Everyday Life, West

00:40
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1966
Deadbeats at the Church of Remembrance

Young people are lazing around the Church of Remembrance and getting Berliners hot under their collars. They have long hair and are known as deadbeats. These young people are trying out a new way of living that goes beyond merely working and consuming. Meinhard Schröder looks back at those times. He believes that a lot of born-and-bred West Berliners had forgotten how to think and a Wall had formed in their heads. Meinhard recalls one of the standard arguments back then: "Why don't you just go over to the East?"

Contemporary Witnesses, Everyday Life, West

01:44
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1966
Division of the evangelical synod

The evangelical church is fighting against moves to divide its diocese which still encompasses the whole of Berlin. In February 1966 Kurt Scharf is appointed as the new bishop. However, he cannot visit his East Berlin parishes, as he is refused access to East Berlin. Instead, he retains informal ties to Christians in the East. Meinhard Schröder, then a theology student, talks about his connections with Christians in the East.

Contemporary Witnesses, Politics, West, East

01:35
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1966
Shopping centre opens in Lichtenberg

In April 1966, the GDR's most modern shopping centre opens in the East Berlin district of Lichtenberg. Manfred Lauchardt recalls how the GDR's popular WM66 washing machine was not only used in East German households, but also came in handy on Berlin's Alexanderplatz to keep sausages warm.

Everyday Life, East

01:08
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1966
Soviet plane crashes into Stößensee

A Soviet plane crashes into Stößensee. Apart from the pilots, no one is hurt and a disaster is narrowly avoided on West Berlin's densely populated Heerstrasse. A plaque on Stößensee bridge commemorates the fighter jet crash: "On 6 April 1966, Soviet pilots Captain Boris Vladimirovich Kapustin and Lieutenant Yuri Nikolayevich Yanov steered their faulty aircraft into Stößensee, losing their lives in the crash. Thanks to their selfless act, they avoided an unforeseeable disaster in the nearby residential area. This plaque honours the sacrifice made by the Soviet soldiers as a symbol of humanity in the midst of the Cold War."

Politics, West

01:36
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location

June 01, 1974
Football World Cup

In June 1974, the Federal Republic organises the Football World Cup. West Berliners are not limited to television viewing: games will also be held at the Olympic Stadium. The fact that both German teams will play group matches here is a particularly sensitive point. However, they will not face each other in Berlin.

Everyday Life, West, East

00:57
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1963
Hertha in the Bundesliga

Berliners on both sides of the Iron Curtain share a passion for football. West Berliners' pride and joy: the club Hertha BSC. The “Champions of the Berlin City League” have been promoted to the new Bundesliga. As manager and vice president of the club, Wolfgang Holst helped Hertha get in the Bundesliga. However, Wolfgang recalls how the Berlin club was not a popular choice for star footballers from the Federal Republic. The situation in the GDR league couldn't be more different: it is home to two East Berlin teams. The army sports club “Vorwärts” is competing for points against the State Security Service's club “Dynamo”. Neither of these clubs has any trouble attracting top players.

Contemporary Witnesses, Everyday Life, West, East

01:42
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1966
Soviet plane crashes into Stößensee

A Soviet plane crashes into Stößensee. Apart from the pilots, no one is hurt and a disaster is narrowly avoided on West Berlin's densely populated Heerstrasse. A plaque on Stößensee bridge commemorates the fighter jet crash: "On 6 April 1966, Soviet pilots Captain Boris Vladimirovich Kapustin and Lieutenant Yuri Nikolayevich Yanov steered their faulty aircraft into Stößensee, losing their lives in the crash. Thanks to their selfless act, they avoided an unforeseeable disaster in the nearby residential area. This plaque honours the sacrifice made by the Soviet soldiers as a symbol of humanity in the midst of the Cold War."

Politics, West

01:36
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1985
Natural gas and senate stockpiles

Natural gas from the Soviet Union begins flowing to West Berlin in early October 1985. But because the allies are worried that the Soviets could cut the supply at any moment, they build a massive gas storage facility underneath Stössensee lake. West Berlin is preparing for disasters in other ways too. The senate has built up huge stockpiles of essentials so that the city can still retain its freedom even if things take a turn for the worse.

Everyday Life, West

00:56
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1964
Skiing on Teufelsberg

In 1964 Teufelsberg - a hill rising up to 112 metres - is equipped with a ski lift and floodlights, creating Alpine-like conditions for skiers in the walled-in city. Berliners can take skiing courses free of charge. This urban winter sports location even features a ski jump. However, over the years, American agents working in the listening station on Teufelsberg claim that the skiers are disrupting their work. In 1999 the entire infrastructure is dismantled.

Everyday Life, Culture, West

01:55
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September 1980
S-Bahn strike

East Berlin’s Reichsbahn operates West Berlin’s S-Bahn network. That means Reichsbahn owns all tracks and stations in the West, and employs all S-Bahn staff regardless of which side of the Wall they work on. West Berlin Reichsbahn employees go on strike in September 1980. They want better wages and working conditions. The Reichsbahn management won’t negotiate, so freight trains and the S-Bahn come to a halt and workers occupy signal boxes. Elfriede Dube is working the day this happens. She decides to side with her colleagues and becomes one of over 200 strikers to lose their jobs in the aftermath.

Contemporary Witnesses, Everyday Life, Politics, West, East

02:10
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1987
One birthday, two parties

East and West Berlin hold separate celebrations to mark the city’s 750th birthday. East Berlin spruces itself up and completely renovates the historic Nikolai Quarter. Chancellor Kohl attends the celebrations in West Berlin. Erich Honecker has been invited, but doesn’t show up. When it becomes clear that the two sides still disagree over Berlin’s divided status, the East feels cheated and promptly retracts the invitation it had extended to Mayor Diepgen.

Politics, West, East

00:54
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March 05, 1969
Election of President of the Federal Republic, Gustav Heinemann

On 5 March 1969, the West German Federal Assembly elects Gustav Heinemann to the post of Federal President in West Berlin. His election is taken as a sign of the political reorientation in Bonn: in autumn 1969 a social-liberal coalition comes to power in the Federal Republic, led by Federal Chancellor Willy Brandt. East Berlin accuses the West Germans of violating the city’s special status by holding the presidential election in West Berlin and seals off transit routes. GDR chief commentator Karl-Eduard von Schnitzler lashes out on East German television, remarking that there is a village in the West German state of Schleswig-Holstein called Berlin. He suggests the Federal Assembly go and elect its Federal President there.

Politics, West

01:04
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May 1978
Elizabeth II and Queen visit Berlin

Queen Elizabeth II graces West Berlin with a visit in May. Her first visit, in 1965, was about reconciliation between the UK and Germany. This time, she is here to show her support for West Berlin’s freedom, which British forces are helping to guarantee. Her Majesty is not the only monarch drawing crowds in West Berlin. Freddy Mercury and his band Queen are here to give what turns out to be a spectacular concert in the Deutschlandhalle arena.

Politics, Culture, West

00:58
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1968
Introduction of transit visas

In 1968 West Berliners travel on holiday by long-distance coach. But this method of transport is not without its drawbacks: in mid-June 1968 the GDR introduces a mandatory passport and visa fee for transit traffic between Berlin (West) and the Federal Republic. The charge of five West German marks per person will give a significant boost to the GDR's foreign currency reserves.

Border, Politics, West, East

01:13
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