http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44060292/ns/travel-news/ A city divided The Berlin Wall was erected to separate East and West Berlin following the wider partition of Germany after the Second World War. Standing from 1961 to 1989, it became a symbol of the broader Cold War conflict. Half-controlled by Western forces, the city was geographically in the middle of the Soviet Occupation Zone of Germany and became a focal point for tensions between the NATO allies and the communist Eastern Bloc. In this image, the Brandenburg Gate is seen behind barbed wire in 1962. (John Waterman / Fox Photos via Getty Images) By Chris Rodell msnbc.com contributor updated 8/12/2011 3:38:38 PM ET Fifty years ago, the Soviet-controlled German Democratic Republic began…