Berlin Wall: an interactive timeline

The Berlin Wall, erected by the communist rulers of East Germany in 1961, was the ultimate physical symbol of the cold war and the post-world war two division of Germany.

The collapse of the wall 20 years ago sparked the end of the communist regime not only in East Germany but in other parts of eastern Europe and ultimately the Soviet Union.

Here the Financial Times takes a look at how the allied division of Germany led to the building of the wall, its progress as a structure and its celebrated dismantling.

See also: In depth – The 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall