Gedenkstätte Berliner Mauer, A Symbol of Division and Reconciliation

Berlin Wall Memorial, Bernauer Straße 111, 13355 Berlin, Germany

A meaningful place

4.4

Introduction

The Berlin Wall is a 176.8-kilometer-long barrier that was built on August 12, 1961, and was demolished on November 9, 1989. It divided Berlin into East and West and was known as the "Anti-Fascist Protection Wall." There are three preserved sections of the Berlin Wall: the East Side Gallery, Niederkirchnerstraße, and Bernauerstraße. The graffiti can only be seen on the side facing West Berlin, while the eastern side remains in its original concrete form. The famous artwork "My God, Help Me to Survive This Deadly Love" is based on a political news photograph taken in 1979, known as the "Brotherly Kiss." There are also small holes in the remaining parts of the wall, left by citizens as memorials, and fragments of the wall can be purchased in souvenir shops, although their authenticity is difficult to prove. Over the past 20 years, the wall has slowly faded from memory.