Memorializing The Wall
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From the moment I arrived in Berlin the Wall was a hot topic. There was a public protest at the East Side Gallery – a section of the wall that is preserved along the Spree River for street artists around the world leave their mark for peace. The East Side Gallery is considered an international memorial for freedom but is in threat of being torn down for development. I’m not going to get into the details of the feuding groups in this post – it’s quite political and convoluted like most disagreements – but you should know that it’s a very hot topic in Berlin . So much so that David Hasselhoff (aka the Hoff), even showed up to a protest the new development. Epic German (pop) culture.
I still remember the first thing that struck me when I visited Berlin a year ago – I was impressed by how well they preserved the wall and memorialized it as well as other important areas/sites of the city. The Wall is a structure that has a reason to be hated deeply, yet the city has done a great job of putting together a public space to learn about it’s history and remember the past lives and stories. I was absolutely entranced by the Berlin Wall Memorial along Bernauer Strasse. It was so cleverly done incorporating the land in which the wall stood and even the buildings around it – an open air exhibition. It told a story – and that’s what a good memorial does.
Overall memorials are important tools for educating the general public. These areas in Berlin combine art, architecture, physical urban space and the power of memory – an effective combination. Do you agree?
What are some of the best memorials you have seen around the world?
More Information:
Berlin Wall Memorial Bernauer Strasse Website
Hours
Open-Air Exhibition and Memorial Grounds
All year round Monday – Sunday 8:00am – 10:00pm
Visitor Center and Documentation Center
April – October
Tuesday – Sunday 9:30am – 7:00pm
November – March
Tuesday – Sunday 9:30am – 6:00pm
Location:
Gedenkstätte Berliner Mauer
Bernauer Straße 111/119
13355 Berlin
I think Berlin does a fabulous job of trying to memorialize the past, while looking to the future. It’s a fine line; to not get caught up in forever apologizing and trying to make it up and yet being able to move forward with a bright future. It’s constantly changing and worth repeated visits. Someone said to me “Paris will always be Paris, but Berlin is constantly changing and needs to be revisited”. I hope to one day soon.
Sherry this is a great post, especially for those of us old enough to remember when it was torn down and what it represented at one time. Thanks for sharing!
Something so simple yet it caused so much misery. The photos capture the symbolic reference excellently.
Great photos, as usual.
I don’t think there would be a way for Berlin to ‘get rid of’ the wall or ever forget it. It was such an important part of the city for so long and has defined the way Berlin is now, in many ways.
Despite how awful the history of a place, you do the people a disservice if you whitewash or ignore it.
Beautiful pictures and perspectives! One day, I would like to walk down the remaining Berlin wall to read and see the art work on it, however not to forget the horrifying past of this wall. Hard to believe today…! Did you also visit the Holocaust Memorial? My friend and me went there at dusk….it was breath taking, horrifying and in German we say: Herzergreifend…it did to us, what it was supposed to do!
I so agree with this: “It told a story – and that’s what a good memorial does.” It seems like a lot of memorials are just statues designed to mark the spot and help people who already know the story remember, but a really good memorial allows even people who don’t know the backstory to learn and appreciate what happened.
The Wall is a piece of history to remember in times of peace. I personally think that some of it should remain. The real estate in big cities is so valuable that on one pretext or another we want to convert it into commercial property.
The pics are absolutely fabulous.
Thanks
The wall coming down was one of the most notable events of my youth. Thanks for such incredible photos and content on this subject.
Most intriguing write-up of a remnant of the Cold War. I enjoy very much how you relate your personal experience and thanks for the fabulous photos especially the bird-eye view of the memorial from across the street.