The Rise and Fall of the Berlin Wall
This is the history of the Berlin Wall told through the voices of U.S. diplomats, featuring artifacts from the National Museum of American Diplomacy’s collection.
The Diplomat’s Dilemma: Diplomacy Beyond the Berlin Wall
In this lesson, students will develop cultural diplomacy strategies to engage with people living on the other side of the Berlin Wall, understanding the vital role of diplomacy in overcoming barriers.
Download Lesson Plan
In post-WWII Germany, the United States promoted democratic ideals via cultural diplomacy with Amerika Haus. From libraries to showing movies, the Amerika Haus locations created opportunities for Germans to experience U.S. culture and ideals after years of Nazi rule.
As political tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union rose during the Cold War, U.S. diplomats continued to work to build cultural bridges between people and countries. Amerika Haus locations became important cultural institutions throughout Germany before the wall was built.
When the Berlin Wall went up in 1961, this posed a significant challenge to cultural and diplomatic exchanges for U.S. diplomats. With East and West Germany now divided, diplomats had to not only continue to run the Amerika Haus in West Berlin, but come up with ways to communicate with people in East Berlin.
In this lesson, students will create their own cultural diplomatic plans to reach people on the other side of the Berlin Wall. By the end of the lesson, students will appreciate the complexities of diplomatic efforts in divided Germany and recognize the importance of cultural diplomacy in overcoming political barriers.
Materials & Links
Standards Alignment:
- 8.64: Compare the effectiveness of methods used by the United States government to enact foreign policy, including sanctions, aid, diplomacy, military force, coalition building and deterrence.
- VUS.15.e: Explaining how American foreign policy pressure, economic power and defense policy, and the assertion of American values led to the end of the Cold War.
Recommended Grade Levels:
- 9th-12th
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