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With his grandmother in Wedding in the West and his father in Prenzlauer Berg in the East, eleven-year-old Hans-Joachim Weß often cycles over Böse Bridge on Bornholmer Strasse. During his frequent crossings he builds up a lucrative business which comes to an abrupt end on 13 August 1961.

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.

locations

• Bösebrücke, Berlin

  showtime

  1

  latitude

  52.5546853

  longitude

  13.39903951