Process Paper

Our topic, the Fall of the Berlin Wall, is a renowned event in world history that is both
historically significant, as it changed the course of history for Germany, and is utterly
fascinating. A recent trip to Berlin and the intriguing complexity of this event inspired us to
delve into its many layers and learn more.
To start off our research expedition, we explored many mediums of information and
encountered a variety of sources that could provide us with valuable and reliable information on
our topic. As we continued our research, we found that most of our sources focused in on the
political aspects of the encounter, prompting us to narrow our search in efforts to uncover more
information on the cultural impacts of reunification. However, using a narrower lens, we were
able to extract useful information from unique sources such as personal diaries of citizens and
political documents. We were additionally able to acquire several interviews with professionals
on the subject. Conversations with Professor Thomas Schwartz of Vanderbilt University,
Professor Marybeth Stein of George Washington University, and Ronald Granieri of University
of Pennsylvania provided essential insight on our topic and reinforced our assertions.
Over the course of our high school careers thus far, we have often used technology as a
mean for expressing our learnings and insights. We have acquired skills using a variety of
software and technologies; creating visual presentations, essays, documentaries, websites, and
PSAs. Given this background, we felt that a website would prove to be the most efficient and
powerful way to portray what we had discovered and present our argument.
In the years leading up to the fall of the Berlin Wall, uncontrolled fleeing to the West
combined with a Soviet introduction to a more liberal form of communism weakened socialist
and East German rule. This East German deterioration led to the fall of the Berlin Wall in
October of 1990. After the initial celebration and exploration of foreign territory, the opposing
ideologies of democracy in West Germany and communism in East Germany clashed in a
political encounter. Support from Western powers, a superior economy, and a pride in
democracy among West Germans provoked the idea that reunification required the complete
absorption of East Germany into West Germany. East Germany was unable to compete against
West Germany, which led to West German domination over East German infrastructure and
culture, and created rapid social changes and financial troubles for many eastern Germans. These
struggles still prevent eastern Germans from being completely socially equal to western Germans
today. However, the eastern German economic and political structures are significantly more
stable and successful today than they would have been if they were still under communist rule, as
shown through German prosperity and renovations in the East. This radical cultural exchange has
made Germany one of the most economically thriving nations in the world and symbolizes the
end of the Cold War.
Word Count: 483