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Building the Berlin Wall was significant primarily because it served as a physical manifestation of the division between East and West during the Cold War. Constructed in 1961, the wall became a powerful symbol of the ideological and political barriers between the communist East, represented by East Germany and the Soviet Union, and the democratic West, represented by West Germany and its Western allies.

The Wall not only separated families and friends but also embodied the broader struggle between two opposing political ideologies: communism and capitalism. It clearly delineated the boundaries of influence for each side, making the divide tangible and immediate for those affected. Moreover, the Berlin Wall stood as a stark reminder of the restrictions placed on individual freedoms in authoritarian states, underscoring the East's isolation from the West.

While the other options touch on different aspects of the Cold War, such as capitalism or travel rights, they don't capture the essence of what the wall represented. The wall's existence defined a crucial period in history and was pivotal in shaping the Cold War narrative until its fall in 1989, which further highlighted the significance of the East-West divide.