Last week marked the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.
Berlin is a special place for me, my mother was born there and her family left Berlin for Australia about the same time the wall went up. When I visited the place of my ancestry last December, I was both fascinated and shocked to learn about the wall that divided Berlin for 28 years from 1961 – 1989.
Parts of the wall still stand and this particular section has been used for artistic expression, bringing emotional meaning to remnants of this dividing scar crossing Berlin. Many of the artworks portray the feelings of fright, uproar, and relief that Berlin’s inhabitants experienced during these terrifying moments in the city’s history.
The East Side Gallery is positioned along the bank of the river between Oberbaumbrücke (Oberbaum Bridge) and Ostbahnhof station, and stretches for 1.3km (0.8 miles) making it the longest open air gallery in the world.
I visited Berlin and went to the East Side Gallery nearly two years ago. I was really amazed at how long it is and how many murals there are. It was certainly difficult to comprehend the enormity of the wall and take in the artwork all at once.
The East Side Gallery is so impressive, I visited once when I was on a couple of years old (and two years after the wall came down!) and again more recently. The artwork is fantastic and so inspiring!
I found it amazing that there is still is something left of that wall that once separated Berlin, I like what they did with it and how they used it 🙂
I thought the same thing Franca! It’s fantastic that they’ve given it some meaning.
Great post. The East Side Gallery is one of my very favorite places in Berlin, and in the world. Every time I go back, or see photos, I notice something new, or something I hadn’t seen before. Thanks for sharing!
I saw parts of the wall in Brussels several years ago. I have never seen that first image before. It is so thought provoking. Such a horrid word.
Thanks Holly, It’s very thought provoking – I stood and stared at it for a few minutes, just to let the true meaning sink in.