The Berlin Wall divided Berlin from 1961 to 1989.
Berlin . After World War II and its subsequent occupation by the victorious countries , the city was divided ; East Berlin was declared capital of East Germany , while West Berlin became a de facto West German exclave , surrounded by the Berlin Wall ( 1961 -- 1989 ) and East German territory . The Berlin Wall ( Berliner Mauer ) was a guarded concrete barrier that physically and ideologically divided Berlin from 1961 to 1989 . Constructed by the German Democratic Republic ( GDR , East Germany ) , starting on 13 August 1961 , the Wall completely cut off ( by land ) West Berlin from surrounding East Germany and from East Berlin until government officials opened it in November 1989 .