Berlin, Germany - The Historical Berlin Wall

Large stretch of the Berlin Wall was kept intact. This part of the wall can be found to the east of the city center. The Wall runs along the River Spree in Muhlenstrasse close to the Oberbaumbrucke. This part of the Berlin Wall is referred to as the East Side Gallery. It is a section of the Wall that has been maintained, kept intact and preserved to act as a gallery. This part of Berlin be easily reached from Ostbahnhof or Warschauer Strasse.

The Wall has many beautiful and meaningful murals, politically motivated and otherwise. The Martin-Gropius-Bau museum, which is currently under reconstruction also has pieces of the original Berlin Wall located in its vicinity. There are also two smaller pieces of the original Wall in Potsdamer Platz and in its neighborhood at the corner in between Ebertstrabe and Bellevuestrabe.

The Berlin Wall was a barrier, both physical and political, separating West Berlin from East Berlin and the rest of East Germany. For 28 years, East and West Berlin were separated. From the day construction of Berlin Wall began on August 13, 1961 to the day it was demolished in 1989. The Wall was considered to be a symbol of the Iron Curtain that was representative of the political power which was in office at the time. Reports say that during the Walls existence, 133 people were confirmed as being killed trying to cross the Wall, into the Western part of Berlin. The fall of the Berlin Wall paved the way for German reunification, which was formally concluded on October 3, 1990.

It is a definite must-see landmark for any traveler that passes through Berlin, for both it's historical and political significance!

The Berlin Wall
More details about the Berlin Wall.