Why is the Berlin Wall seen as more significant, or at least remembered better in history, than the border between East/West Germany?

by raiko_
QuirrelMan

Well this depends on your own perspective or historical focus. The Berlin Wall and the East/West German border were all pieces of the larger "Iron Curtain" across Europe. 1961 when the Berlin Wall is raised it is the final piece of the Curtain and when it falls it has a larger domino effect (though this is after Hungary opened its border to be fair).

Overall though, in my opinion, the Berlin Wall is seen as more significant for three reasons

A) The absurd nature of a wall going through and around an entire half of a city in order to keep a population in was and is shocking to most people across the globe and illustrates the ideological strength of the Cold War.

B) If you look at the continuity of events from 1914 to 1989 Berlin plays a monumental role in the Western World: Weimar Republic, National Socialism, Destruction and Occupation, Berlin Airlift/Blockade, A Wall, and the end of the Cold War.

C) The Fall of the Berlin Wall signaled the complete collapse of the old Eastern Bloc and is seen as the end of the Cold War.

Hope this helps