▁into ▁East ▁and ▁West ▁affected ▁Wend land ▁a ▁great ▁deal , ▁as ▁it ▁became ▁isolated ▁to ▁the ▁north , ▁east ▁and ▁south ▁by ▁the ▁Inner ▁German ▁Border ▁for ▁almost ▁ 4 0 ▁years ▁until ▁ 1 9 8 9 . ▁This ▁development , ▁whilst ▁largely ▁negative ▁for ▁the ▁region , ▁had ▁two ▁major ▁posit ives . ▁First ly ▁the ▁rural ▁isol ation ▁of ▁the ▁Rund ling ▁villages ▁was ▁not ▁affected ▁neg atively ▁by ▁industry ▁or ▁motor ways , ▁and ▁second ly ▁Wend land ▁became ▁a ▁second ▁home ▁for ▁a ▁large ▁number ▁of ▁West ▁Berlin ers , ▁who ▁were ▁anxious ▁about ▁their ▁position , ▁surrounded ▁as ▁they ▁were ▁on ▁all ▁sides ▁by ▁an ▁un friend ly ▁state . ▁It ▁was ▁largely ▁Berlin ers ▁who ▁inv ested ▁in ▁the ▁old ▁property ▁of ▁the ▁Wend land , ▁which ▁was ▁cheap ▁and ▁sp a cious . ▁They ▁res cu ed ▁whole ▁villages ▁from ▁certain ▁ru in . ▁At ▁the ▁same ▁time ▁the ▁local ▁population , ▁reflect ing ▁post - war ▁prosper ity , ▁was ▁emb rac ing ▁modern ization , ▁and ▁pulling ▁down ▁old ▁hall ▁houses ▁to ▁replace ▁them ▁with ▁far ▁less ▁sympath etic ▁modern ▁housing , ▁which ▁was ▁che aper ▁to ▁maintain ▁and ▁war mer ▁in ▁winter ! ▁This ▁tr end ▁was ▁noticed ▁with ▁alarm ▁by ▁many ▁lo vers ▁of ▁the ▁old ▁hall ▁houses ▁in ▁their ▁pictures que ▁circular ▁villages , ▁and ▁the ▁Rund lings verein ▁was ▁brought ▁into ▁existence ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 9 ▁to ▁educ ate ▁the ▁population ▁to ▁the ▁potential ▁loss ▁of