The Berlin Wall

The Berlin Wall has long since disappeared from reunified Berlin. Memories of the Wall, however, are still very much alive, and many of the visitors who come from all over the world are disappointed or surprised to find that so little remains of Berlin’s most infamous structure. The two halves of the city, separated for decades, have in fact been visibly reunited, while the remaining sections of the GDR’s border fortifications have lost their power to terrify and are being preserved for future generations. A moment of silence can help visitors grasp the message of the memorial sites dedicated to people who died trying to cross the Wall. (Berlin.de)

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Vocabulary:

reunify (v.) - to make (something, such as a divided country) whole again : to unify (something) again

memory (n.) - the power or process of remembering what has been learned or something that is remembered

alive (adj.) - having life, living, not dead and continuing to exist

disappointed (adj) - feeling sad, unhappy, or displeased because something was not as good as expected or because something you hoped for or expected did not happen

structure (n.) - something (such as a house, tower, bridge, etc.) that is built by putting parts together and that usually stands on its own

halves plural of half (n.) - one of two equal or nearly equal parts into which something can be divided

visibly (adv.) - able to be seen, easily seen or understood or known to or noticed by the public

decade (n.) - a period of 10 years

remaining (adj.) - something that is left when the other parts are gone or have been used

sections (n.) - one of the parts that form something, a particular area that is part of a larger place

GDR (n.) - German Democratic Republic

border (n.) - a line separating one country or state from another

fortification (n) - : the act of building military defenses to protect a place against attack, the act of fortifying something

terrify (v.) - to cause (someone) to be extremely afraid, to frighten (someone) very much

preserve (v.) - to keep (something) in its original state or in good condition, to keep (something) safe from harm or loss

generation (n.) - a group of people born and living during the same time, the people in a family born and living during the same time

grasp (v.) - to understand (something that is complicated or difficult)

dedicate (v) - to officially make (something) a place for honoring or remembering a person, event, etc.

figure (n.) - a symbol that represents a number, a value that is expressed in numbers

mile (n.) - a unit of measurement equal to 5,280 feet (about 1,609 meters)

inhabit (v.) - to live in (a place) : to have a home in (a place), to be present in (something)

area (n.) - a part or section within a larger place

concrete (adj.) - relating to or involving specific people, things, or actions rather than general ideas or qualities

element (n.) - a particular part of something (such as a situation or activity)

lattice (n.) - a frame or structure made of crossed wood or metal strips

fence (n.) - a structure like a wall built outdoors usually of wood or metal that separates two areas or prevents people or animals from entering or leaving

ditch (n.) - a long narrow hole that is dug along a road, field, etc., and used to hold or move water

contact (adj.) - acting when physical contact occurs

signal (n.) - something (such as a sound, a movement of part of the body, or an object) that gives information about something or that tells someone to do something

post (n.) - the place where a soldier or guard is told to guard

guard (v.) - to watch (someone) in order to prevent escape, to protect (someone or something) from danger or attack

watch-tower (n.) - a tower that is used by a person who guards or watches a place

bunker (n.) - a strong building that is mostly below ground and that is used to keep soldiers, weapons, etc., safe from attacks

firearm (n.) - a small gun

injured (adj.) - suffering from an injury : physically hurt or harmed

unity (n.) - the state of being in full agreement, a way of combining the parts so that they seem to belong together