Just for a bit of then-and-now contrast, here are a couple of pics dating to the 1970s.

The wall was more than a wall in most areas; it was part of a no-man's-land that included wire fences, sand strips (to bog down vehicles) and other barriers. Note the ruined Reichstag in the distance. This was taken from the Ost-West Express train (Hook of Holland to Moscow.)



DDR kids facing the Brandenburg Gate