Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
West Berlin from West Germany and eased travel restrictions between East and West Berlin.
The accord paved the way for the Basic Treaty, signed a year later, in which the two coun-
tries recognised each other's sovereignty and borders and committed to setting up 'perman-
ent missions' in Bonn and East Berlin, respectively.
Life in the Divided City
For 45 years, Berlin was a political exclave in the cross-hairs of the Cold War. After the
Berlin Wall was built in 1961, the city's halves developed as completely separate entities.
West Berlin
West Berlin could not have survived economically without heavy subsidies from the West
German government in the form of corporate tax incentives and a so-called
Berlinzulage,
a
monthly tax-free bonus of 8% on pretax income for every working Berliner. West Berliners
had access to the same aspects of capitalism as all other West Germans with full access to a
wide range of quality consumer goods, the latest technology and imported foods. Then as
now, the main shopping spine was Kurfürstendamm and its extension, Tauentzienstrasse, the
crown jewel of which, the KaDeWe department store, left no shopping desires unfulfilled.
Since West Berlin was completely surrounded by East Berlin and East Germany, its resid-
ents liked to joke that no matter in which direction you travelled, you were always 'going
east'. Still, West Berliners suffered no restrictions on travel and were free to leave and return
as they pleased, as well as to choose their holiday destinations. Berlin was linked to West
Germany by air, train and four transit roads, which were normal autobahns or highways also
used by East Germans. Transit travellers were not allowed to leave the main road. Border
checks were common and often involved harassment and time-consuming searches.
