What would happen if your town was cut in half? On October 7, 1949, Germany became two separate countries. After World War II, the winning countries could not agree on Germany's future. The western part became West Germany. It had a democratic government where people could vote. The eastern part became East Germany. It was controlled by the Soviet Union. The two sides had very different rules. In East Germany, the government watched people closely. Families were separated by the new border. The city of Berlin sat inside East Germany, but it was also divided. In 1961, East Germany built a tall concrete wall through Berlin. Guards stood along the wall day and night. People who tried to cross could be arrested. Life was very different on each side. West Germany grew wealthy. East Germany struggled. For forty years, Germans lived apart. Then in 1989, the wall came down. People danced on top of it. Germany became one country again in 1990. The reunited nation is now the largest country in Western Europe.