The construction of the Berlin Wall in 1961 was significant in the context of the Cold War, as it physically and ideologically symbolized the division between East and West. The wall represented not just a barrier between East and West Berlin but also embodied the broader conflict between communist and capitalist ideologies. It curtailed emigration from East to West and reinforced the oppression faced by East Germans under a communist regime. The wall's existence highlighted tensions in international relations, serving both as a deterrent to the West and as an emblem of the shortcomings of the Eastern Bloc, ultimately signaling the struggle for freedom that would contribute to its collapse.