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| 1961, Aug. 13 |
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| The East German government closed the border between East and West Berlin and began (Aug. 15) to build a wall between the two zones. These actions followed publication of a communiqué by the Warsaw Pact nations, appealing to the East German Parliament to halt the mass flight of refugees to the West. While the Berlin Wall represented a crucial cold war symbol in the West, historians have also noted that by halting the flight of refugees to the West, East Germany was able to stabilize its economy and eventually become one of the most prosperous communist countries in the world. | 1 |
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| 1963, Dec. 19 |
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| After being granted permission by the East German government, more than 500,000 West Berliners visited relatives in East Berlin during the holidays, through Jan. 5, 1964. | 2 |
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| 1964, Sept. 21 |
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| Death of Otto Grotewohl, who was succeeded as prime minister by Willi Stoph. | 3 |
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| 1965, April 7 |
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| Closure of the autobahn between West Germany and West Berlin in protest against the meeting of the West German Parliament in Berlin. Higher tariffs were also imposed on rail and water traffic from West Germany to Berlin. | 4 |
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| 1966, Feb |
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| Ulbricht suggested talks between the West German Social Democratic Party and the East German Communist Party. The plan for an exchange of views finally broke down over legal details. | 5 |
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| April |
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| Professor Robert Havemann, a critic of the Ulbricht regime, was dismissed from membership in the Academy of Sciences in East Berlin, a clear warning that the East German regime would allow no more free expression than the Soviet Union. | 6 |
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