Berlin Wall (1961-1989)

Constructed by the communist DDR regime in an effort to stop their own citizens from seeking better lives in the West, this 151 km long wall completely surrounded West Berlin during the Cold War. On the West Berlin side, the wall was covered with graffiti. On the eastern side, 100 yards of no man's land (death-strip) separated the Wall from an additional fence. 192 persons were killed attempting to escape. Recently released documents show that the guards were given shoot to kill orders.

After the reunification, the once blank eastern side became graffiti artists’ canvas.
Today, most of the Wall was torn down. The longest remaining section (1.3 km) is called the East Side Gallery, along the Mühlenstraße, on the bank of the Spree River.
We also visited Check Point Charlie, a former crossing point for non-German westerners, where the history of the Wall is displayed.

Sections of the Berlin Wall are also on display in the U.S., as trophies of the Cold War. They remind us of Ronald Reagan’s famous 1987 speech at the Brandenburg Gate, saying “Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate. Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” Without communism, the world is now a much better place. These are 1980’s 4th generation pre-fabricated design, with sections of reinforced concrete 3.6m high, 1.2m wide, and weights 2.6 ton. After the sections were joined, they were capped with tubular tops.