Barbed wire
The frequent use of barbed wire on prison walls, around concentration camps, and the like, has made it symbolic of oppression and denial of freedom in general. For example, in Germany, the totality of East Germany's border regime is commonly referred to with the short phrase "Mauer und Stacheldraht" (that is, "wall and barbed wire"), and Amnesty International has a barbed wire in their symbol.
Movement against barbed wire can result in moderate to severe injuries to the skin and, depending on body area and barbed wire configuration, possibly to the underlying tissue. Humans can manage not to injure themselves excessively when dealing with barbed wire as long as they are cautious. Restriction of movement, appropriate clothing, and slow movement when close to barbed wire aid in reducing injury.
Infantrymen are often trained and inured to the injuries caused by barbed wire. Several soldiers can lie across the wire to form a bridge for the rest of the formation to pass over; often any injury thus incurred is due to the tread of those passing over and not to the wire itself.
Injuries caused by barbed wire are typically seen in horses, bats, or birds. Horses panic easily, and once caught in barbed wire, large patches of skin may be torn off. At best, such injuries may heal, but they may cause disability or death (particularly due to infection). Birds or bats may not be able to perceive thin strands of barbed wire and suffer injuries.
For this reason, horse fences may have rubber bands nailed parallel to the wires.
More than 60 different species of wildlife have been reported in Australia as victims of entanglement on barbed wire fences, and the wildlife friendly fencing project is beginning to address this problem.
Grazing animals with slow movements that will back off at the first notion of pain (e.g., sheep and cows) will not generally suffer the severe injuries often seen in other animals.
Barbed wire has been reported as a tool for human torture. It is also frequently used as a weapon in hardcore professional wrestling matches, often as a covering for another type of weapon—Mick Foley was infamous for using a baseball bat wrapped in barbed wire—and infrequently as a covering of or substitute for the ring ropes.
Because of the risk of injuries, in 2010 Norway prohibited making new fences with barbed wire for limiting migration of animals.  Electric fences are used instead. Consequently, automotive brands such as Bentley and Rolls-Royce Motor Cars is using Norwegian (and other Northern European region) hides for producing leather interior in their cars, since the hides from Norwegian cattle have fewer scratches than hides from countries where barbed wire is used.

See also: Bangalore torpedo
Barbed Wire Act 1893
Concertina wire
Isaac L. Ellwood
Jacob Haish
Kansas Barbed Wire Museum
Razor wire
Wire obstacle

Notes: 

References and further reading: 

External links: 
Website of the Devils Rope Museum Archived February 22, 2011, at the Wayback Machine in McLean, Texas
The Kansas Barbed Wire Museum in La Crosse, Kansas is the only museum in the world dedicated solely to barbed wire and the history of fencing."History of the invention of barbed wire". Archived from the original on July 21, 2010. Retrieved July 21, 2010.
Krell, Alan: Barbed Wire, in: 1914-1918-online. International Encyclopedia of the First World War.
Wire Fence and the Dіffеrent Styles They Come In
Development and Rise of Barbed Wire at University of Virginia accessed March 29, 2006
Barbed Wire Fencing - Its Rise and Influence also at UVA, from Agricultural History, Volume 13, October 1939, accessed September 20, 2006
Glidden's patent for barbed wire accessed March 29, 2006
Antique Barbed Wire Society accessed September 21, 2006
Barbed Wire in Texas
Barbed wire changes life on the American Great Plains
The History of Barbed Wire About.com
The Wildlife Friendly Fencing project
Papers, 1878-1938, of Texas rancher and co-inventor Isaac L. Ellwood in Southwest Collection/Special Collections Library at Texas Tech University
"Patent history". Archived from the original on December 7, 2008. Retrieved September 21, 2006. accessed September 21, 2006
U.S. patent 66,182 – Lucien Smith, Kent, Ohio, Wire fence – "rotary spools with projecting spurs" (June 1867)
U.S. patent 67,117 – William Hunt, Scott, New York, Improvement in Fences – "sharpened spur wheels" (July 1867)
U.S. patent 74,379 – Michael Kelly, New York City (!), Improvement in Fences – "thorny fence" (1868)
U.S. patent 116,755 – Joshua Rappleye, Seneca County, New York, Improvement in Constructing Wire fence – tensioner for fence with palings (pickets) (1871)
U.S. patent 138,763 – Henry Rose, DeKalb County, Illinois, Improvement in Wire-fences – "strips provided with metal points" (1873)
U.S. patent 147,756 – Isaac Ellwood, DeKalb, Illinois Improvement in Barbed Fences – "single piece of metal with four points, attached to a flat rail" (February, 1874)
U.S. patent 157,124 – Joseph Glidden, DeKalb, Illinois, Improvement in Wire-fences – twisted fence wires with short spur coiled around one of the strands (November, 1874) This became the most popular patent.
U.S. patent 167,240 – Jacob Haish, DeKalb, Illinois, Improvement in Wire-fence Barbs – "single piece of wire bent into the form of the letter S" so that both strands are clasped (1875)
U.S. patent 185,346 – John Nelson, Creston, Illinois, Improvement in Wire-fence Barbs – barb installable on existing fence wire, (1876)