Poster installation Remembering and celebrating on the anniversary weekend

Over three decades after its fall, the Berlin Wall still attracts travellers from all over the world. Berlin commemorates its past as a divided city in many places. In 2023, the Berlin Wall Memorial and Topography of Terror were among the top 10 most visited museums and memorials. East Side Gallery, Parliament of Trees or Invalidenfriedhof: in this special newsletter we introduce you to a wide variety of places where you can go in search of traces. You can also experience the history of the city with our story app ‘About Berlin’.

A four-kilometre-long open-air presentation along the former inner-city course of the Wall between Invalidenstrasse and Axel-Springer-Strasse forms the heart of the celebrations on 8 and 9 November 2024. Thousands of historical and newly designed posters combine the demands of 1989/90 with current wishes for freedom and democracy. Special exhibitions at seven stations: At key sites such as the Brandenburg Gate and Checkpoint Charlie, themed exhibitions make the events of 1989/90 tangible through photos, interviews and reports. ‘Band for Freedom‘: The highlight is a spectacular wall of sound on the evening of 9 November. Hundreds of musicians, along with the public, will perform the ‘Soundtrack of 1989’ along the route - a unique experience. Supporting programme: The weekend also offers talks, concerts, readings and hands-on activities. A special highlight: Pussy Riot will give a closing concert in front of the former Stasi headquarters.

Events to mark the 35th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall

Berlin invites all visitors to a series of events throughout the city to celebrate the values of freedom and democracy: exhibitions, events, interactive programmes and guided tours along the border area known as the death strip. Highlights include a diverse special programme under the motto ‘Remembering the Revolution | Shaping Democracy’ by the Berlin Wall Foundation, a photo exhibition at C/O Berlin, the exhibition ‘Blown Away: the Palace of the Republic’ at the Humboldt Forum and the Campus for Democracy: on 10 November, the former Stasi headquarters will host a programme on the fall of the Berlin Wall that will shed light on historical perspectives.

Experience the Berlin Wall

Construction of the Berlin Wall started on 13 August, 1961. It changed a nation overnight. The Wall symbolises a divided city, a divided country, the Cold War. Although it was built over six decades ago, it is still very much present in many places. For instance at the East Side Gallery, the world's longest open-air gallery. This art mile stretches for 1,316 metres along the banks of the River Spree in Friedrichshain, making it the longest continuous section of the Wall. 100 works of art document the political developments of the years of upheaval. Especially popular are ‘The Brother’s Kiss’ by Dimitri Vrubel and ‘The Trabant Breaking Through the Wall’ by Birgit Kinder. Equally impressive is the The Parliament of Trees, located on the banks of the River Spree opposite the Reichstag building. Artist Ben Wagin created this memorial site in 1990 on the site of the former border strip of the Berlin Wall. He worked on 58 sections of the wall for this, granite slabs commemorate 258 victims of the Wall who died at the inner-German border. The centrepiece of the memorial site is a square of 16 trees planted by the 16 German prime ministers in 1990 - the actual Parliament of Trees (Parlament der Bäume).

In Berlin-Mitte, two important places impressively convey the history of Berlin. The The Berlin Wall Memorial on the former border strip comprises four theme stations with historical audio and visual material, a visitor centre and an observation tower. There is a 70 metre long section of the Berlin Wall with a border strip and a watchtower on Bernauer Straße. The sector border also ran through the Invalidenfriedhof at the time. More than 90 per cent of the graves had to be removed to make way for the death strip with its watchtowers, control strips, the running track for the guard dogs and the patrolling road. Parts of around 180 metres of the former hinterland wall have been preserved here.

On the tracks of the Berlin Wall

On foot or by bike, the Berlin Wall Trail is absolutely worth exploring on fine autumn days. It marks the course of the former GDR border fortifications to West Berlin and runs for 155 kilometres around the former half-city. The Berliner Mauerweg is divided into 14 individual stretches that are between seven and 21 kilometres long. Historically interesting sections with remains or traces of walls alternate with scenic stretches. One possible tour, for example, goes from Wollankstrasse to Nordbahnhof or from Potsdamer Platz to Warschauer Brücke. And if the weather doesn't cooperate? You can still trace the Berlin Wall at the Mauermuseum – Haus am Checkpoint Charlie (Wall Museum). Visitors travel back in time to a divided Berlin. Rainer Hildebrandt founded the Mauermuseum in 1962, which he used to document the escape plans of GDR citizens. Original objects such as an old Volkswagen with a hiding place in the boot, a mini-submarine, a hot air balloon and a pushed-together suitcase relate these escape attempts.

Even the Tränenpalast provides insights into personal stories. In 1962, the GDR built a terminal building at Friedrichstrasse station, which was used for departures from East to West Berlin. Friends and families said goodbye in the glass and steel pavilion - mostly in tears. The permanent exhibition “Site of German Division” commemorates these fates. What did an autumn day in 1980s Berlin look like? This is illustrated by the huge panoramic image 'DIE MAUER - the asisi Panorama of the divided Berlin'. In the 360° installation room, artist Yadegar Asisi portrays everyday life on both sides of the Wall. Another museum dedicated to divided Berlin is the 'Die Mauer I The Wall', opened on Leipziger Platz in 2020. It features exhibits such as uniforms, newspaper cuttings, firearms, badges and old telephone and communication equipment.

Berlin's history in an app

If you want to learn even more about the Wall and the divided city, the ABOUT BERLIN app from visitBerlin is an excellent resource. The story ‘Bösebrücke: Bridge to freedom - the night the Wall fell’ tells the story of a very special night: 9 November 1989, when the German-German border ran right through the middle of the bridge. The history of the Hotel Adlon is also moving. The story ‘Hotel Adlon: Grand Hotel away from the Berlin Wall’ traces the decline of the magnificent building. Audio and video material bring both stories to life.

Fotos

Harf Zimmermann - Annete Hauschild - Owen Franken - Hans Georg Roth - Tom Schulze - Dagmar Schwelle