The 13th of August 1962 will be an anniversary which marks the final cementation of the German division into parts. It was on August 13, 1961 when the East German communists started to set up a wall between east and West Berlin, thus closing the last big escape hole in the iron curtain between east and West Germany. Since then the reds were busy in reinforcing this Berlin border replacing the first barbed wire-obstacles by brick walls, later setting building up a second wall, which mainly is made of big concrete blocks. While before August 13, 1961 thousands of refugee shad fled into the free west via Berlin daily, now only a few dozen or less succeed in escaping across this border. Here, a view into East Berlin from the (West Berlin) Siegessaule (Victory Column) on July 27, 1962. In front is the Brandenburg Gate, followed by the Marx-Engels Platz, Communist East Berlins main parade ground, and the tower of the red city hall. At left is the dome of the old Evange-Lical cathedral (AP Photo/Frye) PA-9275755
