Berlin Wall

العربية: سور برلين فصل بين ما كان الجزء الشرقي والجزء الغربي من برلين لمدة 28 عامًا.

Български: Берлинската стена, разделяща ФРГ и ГДР 28 години.

English: The Berlin Wall separated the former east and west parts of Berlin for 28 years.

Bahasa Indonesia: Tembok Berlin pernah memisahkan bagian barat dan timur Berlin selama 28 tahun.

Deutsch: Die Berliner Mauer trennte für 28 Jahre Berlin in zwei Hälften.

Español: El Muro de Berlín mantuvo separada la ciudad de Berlín durante 28 años.

Euskara: Berlingo Harresiak Berlingo mendebaldea (BDR) eta ekialdea (DDR) 28 urtez banandu zuen.

Français : Le Mur de Berlin séparait les côtés Est (DDR) et Ouest (BRD) de Berlin pendant 28 ans.

עברית: חומת ברלין הפרידה בין החלקים המזרחי והמערבי לשעבר של העיר ברלין למשך 28 שנים.

Italiano: Il Muro di Berlino ha separato la parte Est (DDR) dalla parte Ovest (BRD) della città di Berlino per 28 anni

文言：柏林圍牆，絕東西柏林，凡二十有八年，為冷戰之徽誌也。

Português: O Muro de Berlim separou as metades Ocidental e Oriental de Berlim durante 28 anos.

Русский: Берлинская стена разделила бывшие западную и восточную части Берлина на 28 лет.

Slovenščina: Berlinski zid je bila zidu podobna zgradba, ki je ločevala bivši vzhodni in zahodni del Berlina.

Polski: Mur Berliński dzielił Berlin na część zachodnią i wschodnią przez 28 lat.

Historical pictures[edit]

Before, on Friday, August 11, 1961
border guards at Brandenburg Gate on August 13, 1961, the day the Berlin Wall was erected
Waving over the Berlin Wall
East German construction workers building the Berlin Wall, 1961-11-20
John F. Kennedy visiting the Berlin Wall at Checkpoint Charlie, June 26, 1963
Kennedy at the Brandenburg Gate
English: On the east side 1968 the "Baby-Wall" with flowers.
Deutsch: Blumenschalensperre
President Nixon visits the Wall at Moritzplatz, February 27, 1969
Potsdamer Platz and Stresemannstraße, November 1975
Wall at Bernauer Straße with Versöhnungskirche in death strip, January 12, 1978
border section at corner of Liesenstraße and Nordbahnhof on St. Hedwig cemetery (1980)
1980
President Reagan with West Berlin mayor von Weizsäcker and Chancellor Schmidt at Checkpoint Charlie (June 11, 1982)
entering plaque, at "Glienicker Brücke", 1985
leaving plaque, at "Glienicker Brücke", 1985
death strip & graffiti at Bethaniendamm in Kreuzberg (1986)
Parade in East Berlin celebrating the 25th anniversary of the erection of the Berlin Wall, 1986
1987
Ronald Reagan speaking in front of the Berliner Mauer on 1987-06-12
President Ronald Reagan giving a speech at the Berliner Mauer, Brandenburger Tor, 1987-06-12
1989-06
Soldier on the wall - 1989-11
border guards feeding birds on watchtower, November 14, 1989
border guards feeding birds on watchtower, November 14, 1989
Berlin Wall on 1989-11-16
Juggling on the Berlin Wall on 1989-11-16
(2)
(3)
(3)
1989-12-01
A crane removing a section of the Berlin Wall on December 21, 1989
East German Volkspolizei at ceremony for the official opening of the Brandenburg Gate, December 22, 1989
January 1990:
Deutsch: Symbolische Grabkreuze für die Opfer der Mauer
1990
1990
dismantling of the Wall at Brandenburg Gate, February 1990
damaged wall at Checkpoint Charlie, July 1990
Former US President Ronald Reagan is presented a now obsolete checkpoint sign at Tempelhof Airport in Sep 1990.
June 1988 - Checkpoint to Kubat-Dreieck - Potsdamer Platz, Berlin
To the Kubat-Dreieck, Berlin Wall on Potsdamer Platz, June 1988
Kubat-Dreieck on the Berlin Wall, June 1988
Kubat-Dreieck on the Berlin Wall, taken by police, July 1st 1988
Berlin Wall, eastgerman border guard looks at the Kubat-Dreieck, July 1st 1988

Photos Taken after 1990[edit]

Remaining Parts of Front Wall[edit]

The term „Berlin Wall“ describes both the fortifications at the border around West Berlin in general as well as the front wall („Vorderes Sperrelement“) of the „death strip“ in particular. Only three shorter front wall sections (at Niederkirchnerstraße, at Bernauer Straße and at Liesenstraße) still exist.

at Bernauer Straße
from top of tower at Bernauer Straße
at Liesenstraße, situated on top of the old wall of St. Hedwig cemetery
at Liesenstraße; this is the shortest of the three remaining front wall sections
remnant of the 1961 „first generation“ of the Berlin Wall at Liesenstraße
at Niederkirchnerstraße
at Niederkirchnerstraße
at Niederkirchnerstraße
at Niederkirchnerstraße
at Niederkirchnerstraße
at Niederkirchnerstraße
at Niederkirchnerstraße
at Niederkirchnerstraße

Run of Removed Front Wall[edit]

On public streets and places, the run of removed parts of the front wall is marked by double cobblestone rows and copper strips throughout Berlin. At some places like Potsdamer Platz, segments removed at other parts of the Wall serve the same purpose.

in Alt-Treptow, near Lohmühlenbrücke
in Alt-Treptow, near Lohmühlenbrücke
at corner of Bellevuestraße and Ebertstraße
at Sonnenallee
near Checkpoint charlie
at Ebertstraße, near the Holocaust Memorial
at Kapelleufer, near Berlin Central Station
Wall segment marking the run of the Wall at Potsdamer Platz
Wall segment marking the run of the Wall at Potsdamer Platz
Wall segment marking the run of the Wall at Potsdamer Platz
Wall segment marking the run of the Wall at Potsdamer Platz
Brandenburg Gate
in Berlin-Staaken

Rear Wall[edit]

A rear wall („Hinterlandmauer“ or „Hinterlandsicherungsmauer“) or a rear fence secured the „death strip“ on the East Berlin side. The rear wall was usually smaller than the front wall. However, remaining stretches of the rear wall are often mistaken for front wall sections where they have the same height and outlook (e.g. at Potsdamer Platz and at Mühlenstraße). Shorter and longer segments of the rear wall remain in place throughout Berlin, by far the longest and most prominent forming the 1,300 meters long „East Side Gallery“ at Mühlenstraße.

East Side Gallery
God! Help me survive amid this mortal love, by Dmitri Vrubel, 1989
East Side Gallery
East Side Gallery
East Side Gallery
on cemetery of St. Hedwig congregation at de:Liesenstraße
rear wall at Invalidenfriedhof cemetery with display boards telling the history of this border section
near Potsdamer Platz
rear wall near Potsdamer Platz in 1998 (since removed)
rear wall remnant with gate leading to the former death strip (in front) at Chausseestraße
As a memorial on a graveyard, Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtnis-Friedhof

Watchtowers[edit]

Border guards oversaw the „death strip“ from watchtowers, 302 of which ringed West-Berlin in 1989. A group of watchtowers was controlled by guards on the more massive directing towers („Führungsstellen“). Only two ordinary watchtowers are still standing, both of which have been removed from their original sites. Three directing towers remain in place.

directing tower „Schlesischer Busch“ in Alt-Treptow
directing tower „Kieler Eck“ in Berlin-Mitte
directing tower at Hennigsdorf, northwest of Berlin
watchtower near Potsdamer Platz (relocated)
watchtower Type BT-11 near Potsdamer Platz (relocated)
watchtower graffiti on border wall at St. Hedwig cemetery, scratched in fresh concrete in 1974

Other Parts of Border Fortifications[edit]

concrete wall on St. Hedwig cemetery, erected in 1974 to secure the front area („Vorfeldsicherung“)
patrol road of the „death strip“ near the corner of Liesenstraße and Chausseestraße
patrol road on Invalidenfriedhof cemetery; marked as part of the Berlin Wall Path („Berliner Mauerweg“)
waste land on former border strip in Berlin Mitte, along Stallschreiberstraße, with patrol road on the right
Japanese Cherry alley, Berlin Wall Trail, near former Bornholmer Strasse border crossing

Museums, Memorials and Art[edit]

official Berlin Wall memorial at Bernauer Straße
new chapel of Versöhnungskirche, Bernauer Straße
Memorial in Berlin-Treptow, remembering 15 killed refugees from Treptow, including two boys
memorial tablet for Ida Siekmann, the first Wall victim (died August 1961), at Bernauer Straße
memorial tablet for Wall victim Bernd Lünser (died October 1961) at Bernauer Straße
memorial tablet for Wall victim Olga Segler (died September 1961) at Bernauer Straße
memorial for graves removed in the death strip at Alter Domfriedhof cemetery, Liesenstraße
sculpture „Wiedervereinigung“ (“reunification”) by Hildegard Leest (1962), near former border crossing Chausseestraße[1]
memorial stone for Günter Litfin, first person shot to death at the Berlin Wall in 1961; situated at former border crossing Invalidenstraße
Wall museum („Mauermuseum“) at Checkpoint Charlie
crosses for victims of the Wall (1990)
unofficial memorial for victims of the Wall near Checkpoint Charlie (removed)
cross for Wall victim Peter Fechter at the unofficial memorial for victims of the Wall near Checkpoint Charlie (removed)
memorial for Peter Fechter, shot to death in 1962, situated at Zimmerstraße
memorial for Peter Fechter, inscription
memorial for Peter Fechter, back side
removed segment of the wall, standing near Checkpoint Charlie
The Day the Wall Came Down in Berlin-Zehlendorf, sculpted by Veryl Goodnight (1998), a gift from the people of the United States
Art in city hall of Berlin-Spandau, Carl-Schurz-Straße 26, Berlin-Spandau
Memorial Stone (segment of the wall) at "Platz des 9. November 1989", former Bornholmer Strasse border crossing
East Side Gallery
Falkplatz, Berlin-Prenzlauer Berg
The Day the Wall Came Down, Berlin-Zehlendorf
White Crosses, Ebertstraße, Berlin-Tiergarten
Edelhofdamm, Berlin-Frohnau
Knesebeckbrücke, Berlin-Zehlendorf
Knesebeckbrücke, Berlin-Zehlendorf
White Crosses, Reichstagsufer, Berlin-Mitte
May-Ayim-Ufer, Berlin-Kreuzberg
Erdmann-Graeser-Weg, Berlin-Zehlendorf