The Berlin Wall – I’ve waited almost two years to see it, so you can imagine my disappointment with its lackluster appearance when I finally did:
My first disappointing look at the Berlin Wall.
This is what I had eagerly anticipated for almost two years? This puny wall is what divided a country for 28 years? Julian, our well educated docent from Context took us to the viewing platform at the Berlin Wall Documentary Center, where it became apparent that there was more to this “puny” wall than meets the eye:
A recreated "death strip" that separated East Berlin from West Berlin.
Getting over the wall was only the first hurdle, would-be escapees then had to make it through the “death strip” which was surrounded by guard towers with guards who had orders to shoot. The estimated 5000 would-be escapees had no place to hide. 124 of them didn’t make it:
Memorial photos of East Berliners who died trying to escape over the Berlin Wall.
All notions of this “puny” wall washed away, I still couldn’t help noticing that the graffiti, which the Berlin Wall is so famous for was missing, you know the ones that East Berliners created in protest of the wall?
Graffiti was only found on the west side of the Berlin Wall.
Not so fast. Julian explained that graffiti was only found on the west side of the Berlin Wall since defacing the wall in East Berlin would have resulted in severe punishment by the communist state. It made perfect sense once he explained it and debunked yet another myth in my head.
The Berlin Wall Open-Air Exhibition is free and worth seeing the wall in its various states.
Slowly, it dawned on me, the Berlin Wall in itself isn’t impressive, its significance lies in the oppression it represented, until change and growth broke out – 28 years later.
Thank you to Julian from Context for our complimentary tour. As always opinions expressed are my own. Context offers three hour tours of the Berlin Wall, providing an extensive history and visiting numerous sites relevant to the Berlin Wall.
