Municipality of Berlin divided

Otto Suhr, head of the Parliament of Berlin, delivering a speech on 8 September 1948 Source: This image is from the article Otto Suhr in the free encyclopedia Wikipedia and is under GNU-license for free documentation

The Communists exploit the Soviet Blockade of Berlin to compel the political division of the Four-Powers’ City. The work of the Magistrate, the city’s civilian government, is repeatedly disrupted by Communist demonstrators until the body finally moves its seat to West Berlin. Following the move, on 30 November 1948, representatives of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED) hand in their resignations and establish their own city administration in East Berlin. Schöneberg Town Hall becomes the seat of West Berlin’s Magistrate.