Germany, during the time period of 1949 and 1990, was divided into two parts namely East Germany and West Germany. The famous Berlin Wall divided the nation into these two parts. Until the reunification of the German state in the year 1990, West Berlin was considered to be a part of the Federal Republic of Germany or the West Germany. The areas that comprised the West Berlin included sectors that were usurped by the British, French and the Americans. The areas of the East and the west Germany were divided by the Berlin wall before the reunification of the two territories.
West Berlin was officially known as Berlin West by the government of West Germany. It was also referred to as Westberlin by East Germany. The fate of Germany, with the bifurcation of East and the West Berlin, was sealed with the Potsdam agreement during World War II. This agreement enabled the occupation of the Nazi territories by the allied powers formed by France, America, Britain and Soviet Union.
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Built in the year 1961, the Berlin Wall was constructed to curb the growing influx of refugees from Eastern part of Germany to the Western part of the country. Charlie's checkpoint is a significant landmark in Berlin commemorating this event in the history of Germany. This checkpoint was used to exchange imprisoned spies between East and West Berlin.
At the time of Allied Forces’ occupation of West Berlin, West Berlin consisted of several boroughs. The American Sector in West Berlin comprised of Tempelhof, Steglitz, Neukolln, Zehlendorf and Schoneberg. The French Sector comprised of Wedding and Reinickendorf while the British Sector included Charlottenburg, Spandau and Wilmersdorf.
The year 1990 was a significant year in the history of West Berlin. 3rd October, 1990, marked the unification of East Berlin with West Berlin. Thus, at present there is no entity by the name of West Berlin in Germany.
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