Germany marks Berlin Wall's 50th anniversary

The now German capital will observe a minute of silence at noon (10:00 GMT) in memory of those who died trying to cross to the West.

Names of victims were read out overnight.

Chancellor Angela Merkel and President Christian Wulff are attending ceremonies in the city.

Mr Wulff told Die Welt newspaper that the modern Germany could take pride in "East Germans' irrepressible desire for freedom and West Germans' solidarity with them".

Mrs Merkel, who was raised in the East, is attending the inauguration of a memorial and museum on Bernauer Strasse, which was divided by the Wall.

Soldiers from the East began construction on the morning of 13 August 1961, eventually building a wall that spread for nearly 160km (100 miles).

There were more than 300 watchtowers to prevent escapees.

The BBC's Stephen Evans in Berlin says the East German authorities portrayed the Wall as a barrier to keep the fascist West out - what came to be known as the Anti-Fascist Protection Rampart.

But he says the accepted view now is that it was to keep East German migrants in.

The number of people who died trying to cross the Wall is disputed - at least 136 are known to have been killed but victims' groups say the true number is more than 700.

The first victim was thought to be Guenter Liftin on 24 August 1961 and the last Chris Gueffroy on 6 February 1989.

Although the Wall came down in 1989, it remains for some a symbol of continuing economic division between the richer west and poorer east.

Few parts of the Wall remain, though city authorities have laid down an 8km row of cobblestones to mark its path.

Tourists often struggle to find original sections.