The World: East Germany: Back to the Wall

As rain spattered on the casket and a small band played a dirge called Immortal Victim, the body of former East German Boss Walter Ulbricht was carried to cremation last week. The funeral came only a few days before the twelfth anniversary of Ulbricht's ugliest legacy: the Berlin Wall. TlME's chief European correspondent William Rademaekers, who witnessed the birth of the Wall on Aug. 13, 1961, returned for another look. His report:

It was on a sun-drenched Sunday that the Wall first appeared. Steel-helmeted East German troops had moved in convoys through the...

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