"The wall must go," West Berlin Mayor Willy Brandt said. "But until it goes, the city must live."
 
And so it did. West Germans would hold their babies above the wall for relatives to see. They painted scenes and slogans on the wall. Others staged political rallies and concerts in front of it.
 
Despite the wall, East Germans learned about the West by listening to newscasts from Radio Free Europe, Radio in the American Sector, the British Broadcasting Corporation and West German stations.
 
News broadcasts created cracks in the so-called Iron Curtain. They were signs that Soviet-style government was not working in East Germany.

The Effect of the Wall on Communications The Berlin Wall was a mighty physical structure. But it could not stop truth. Some information scaled the wall via TV and radio broadcasts. Other news made it to the eastern part of the city by word of mouth. Western billboards proclaimed messages of hope and bits of news. East Berliners could see those billboards. And some information was smuggled across the border in printed fliers and papers.   If you lived in West Berlin, what would you want to say to people living in the East? Would you tell them about democracy and capitalism? Current events? Messages about freedom? Or personal tales of your life? Would you try to reach friends and relatives? If you lived in East Berlin, what news would you want to communicate with people in the West? News about your family's struggles? Or would you plan an escape?   Pretend you are a resident of either East Berlin or West Berlin. Draft a letter that you hope will make it to the other side of the wall. Address the letter to a family member or close friend. Or write an article that you would want delivered to the people on the other side. What do you want to say?