Nevertheless, by the beginning of the 17th century, Western Europe was years ahead of its Eastern counterpart. In the West, there were no feudal order and serfdom, whereas in the East most of the populations were in the possession of landlords.

The key difference between Western and Eastern Europe is that the name Eastern Europe is used to refer to all European countries that were previously ruled by communist regimes while the name Western Europe refers to the more economically stable and developed Western countries.

The major difference between eastern and western culture is that people in the east are more conservative and traditional than the general population in the west.

Both regions were predominantly Christian. Although they worshipped under different churches, they still saw each other as fellow worshipers of Christ. Eastern and Western Europe were both governed by monarchies. They also exhibited social stratification.

In 1944 and 1945 the Red Army drove across Eastern Europe in its fight against the Nazis. After the war, Stalin was determined that the USSR would control Eastern Europe. Each Eastern European state had a Communist government loyal to the USSR. Each state’s economy was tied to the economy of the USSR.

The official purpose of this Berlin Wall was to keep so-called Western “fascists” from entering East Germany and undermining the socialist state, but it primarily served the objective of stemming mass defections from East to West.

The Berlin Wall ran along the entire southern edge of Bernauer Straße during the years of Berlin’s division. Part of this former border strip together with the watchtower are now home to an open air exhibition offering historical audio and video material as well as a visitor centre with videos and a viewing tower.