ˈæftɚ ðə bɜːlˈɪn wˈɔːl wʌz ɪɹˈɛktᵻd ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd sˈɪksti wˈʌn, ðə mˈɑːnjuːmənt wʌz sˈiːn æz ɐ sˈaɪn ʌv kˈɑːmjuːnˌɪst pɹɑːvəkˈeɪʃən ˌɔn wˈɛst bɜːlˈɪn sˈɔɪl ænd hædtə biː pɹətˈɛktᵻd fɹʌm wˈɛst bɜːlˈɪnɚz baɪ bɹˈɪɾɪʃ ˈɑːɹmi bɜːlˈɪn ˈɪnfəntɹi bɹɪɡˈeɪd sˈoʊldʒɚz.
After the Berlin Wall was erected in 1961, the monument was seen as a sign of communist provocation on West Berlin soil and had to be protected from West Berliners by British Army Berlin Infantry Brigade soldiers.