West Berlin at the time of this lecture, the noncommunist side of the city of Berlin, located in East Germany. At the end of World War II (1945) the city of Berlin was divided into a communist section and a noncommunist section just as Germany was similarly divided between East (communist) and West (noncommunist). In 1961 a fortified barrier of concrete and wire was erected between the two sections by communist East Berlin to keep East Berliners from defecting to the West. Armed guards were posted on the wall to stop anyone making such attempts. The wall was finally torn down in 1990 and free passage between the two sections of the city was allowed once again.