Question: when was the berlin wall built and why

title: Berlin Wall
text: The Berlin Wall ( German : Berliner Mauer , pronounced ( bɛʁˈliːnɐ ˈmaʊ̯ɐ ) ( listen ) ) 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 cut off ( by land ) West Berlin from virtually all of surrounding East Germany and East Berlin until government officials opened it in November 1989 . Its demolition officially began on 13 June 1990 and finished in 1992 . The barrier included guard towers placed along large concrete walls , accompanied by a wide area ( later known as the `` death strip '' ) that contained anti-vehicle trenches , `` fakir beds '' and other defenses . The Eastern Bloc portrayed the Wall as protecting its population from fascist elements conspiring to prevent the `` will of the people '' in building a socialist state in East Germany . 

Answer: answer: The Berlin Wall was constructed starting on 13 August 1961, and was a guarded concrete barrier that physically and ideologically divided Berlin from 1961 to 1989.  The Eastern Bloc portrayed the Wall as protecting its population from fascist elements conspiring to prevent the `` will of the people '' in building a socialist state in East Germany.