The border between east and West Germany was closed in 1952. It was difficult to escape to the West. The Berlin wall was built in 1961. The Berlin wall was erected to stop the migration and escape of people from East Germany to West Germany.

The reason for this migration was a better life in the West than that of the East Germany. In East Germany, there was a rule of Communist party and people suffered under it. On the other hand, the West Germany had better conditions of life due to the financial help from the U.S.A. thus people continued to stay here. It also resulted in East Germany losing many of its skilled workers. Well educated people moved to the West. There was a brain drain from the East where many doctors, engineers, teachers, technicians and university teachers migrated to the West. The West Germany was benefited from the qualified professionals educated in the East. While preferring to get an education in the East owing to free education while the West costing money, the Germans preferred to work in the West with more chances of earning money.

Another advantage of the West was that the West German currency was of higher value with which one could buy goods at a cheaper rate in Eastern Berlin. One of the political reasons behind the building the Wall was the interference of the West in the East Germany. According to the East German Government, the only way to prevent migration and emigration from the East to The West part of Germany was to close the border on August 13, 1961.