A Letter to My Readers
Dear Reader:
When given the task to choose a topic to research I immediately thought of the Berlin Wall. It is a significant world event that history classes often touch on but never discuss in depth. I have always been interested in learning more about the wall and sharing my research with others. The only thing I knew about the Berlin Wall prior to my research was that it was a symbol of the Cold War. I also knew that it separated East and West Berlin but I never knew why. The Berlin Wall was always a topic I wished to be more educated on, and this project was the perfect way to do it.
I wanted to know how families living on both sides of the wall were affected. I also was curious to know how living conditions were different on each side. Was one side better than the other? Did people try to cross? If so, did they make it to the other side? These were a few questions that got my research started. As I researched sites online, I found a lot of useful information. My knowledge on the topic grew with each site I visited. Learning about the wall and how important it really was made creating the research assignment even more worthwhile.
My research on the Berlin Wall made me realize that it does not only take two different countries to have tension, but a country can have tension within itself. The people of East Berlin were trapped inside their own country and had poor living conditions. On the other side of the wall, West Berlin was growing economically and there were more job opportunities. People living in the West ultimately had a better life and to me that seems unfair to those who were living in the East. They could not move into the West or else German guards would shoot them, so most had no choice but to put up with the hardships that had been put upon them. I hope my research project makes others think about how much one wall dividing a country can cause so much tension, hurt, and hope for a change.
When given the task to choose a topic to research I immediately thought of the Berlin Wall. It is a significant world event that history classes often touch on but never discuss in depth. I have always been interested in learning more about the wall and sharing my research with others. The only thing I knew about the Berlin Wall prior to my research was that it was a symbol of the Cold War. I also knew that it separated East and West Berlin but I never knew why. The Berlin Wall was always a topic I wished to be more educated on, and this project was the perfect way to do it.
I wanted to know how families living on both sides of the wall were affected. I also was curious to know how living conditions were different on each side. Was one side better than the other? Did people try to cross? If so, did they make it to the other side? These were a few questions that got my research started. As I researched sites online, I found a lot of useful information. My knowledge on the topic grew with each site I visited. Learning about the wall and how important it really was made creating the research assignment even more worthwhile.
My research on the Berlin Wall made me realize that it does not only take two different countries to have tension, but a country can have tension within itself. The people of East Berlin were trapped inside their own country and had poor living conditions. On the other side of the wall, West Berlin was growing economically and there were more job opportunities. People living in the West ultimately had a better life and to me that seems unfair to those who were living in the East. They could not move into the West or else German guards would shoot them, so most had no choice but to put up with the hardships that had been put upon them. I hope my research project makes others think about how much one wall dividing a country can cause so much tension, hurt, and hope for a change.