by Janis / 0 comments - Orginally published:5th November 2019

9th November 1989 is not so long ago.

On a cold winter’s morning in December, we stood at the Berlin Wall Memorial reading the horrific stories of division and pain, and I could barely stem my tears.

On 13th August 1961, the lives of so many innocent German families were to change forever. I couldn’t imagine the incredible heartache and despair the residents of Berlin succumbed to.

Gary and I can remember sitting at home watching the fall of the Berlin Wall unfold on TV only 30 years ago.

One of the things I find so disturbing is that this is recent history and not something that happened in someone else’s lifetime.

So, when Gary and I headed to Berlin in 2018 to experience how Germany’s capital city celebrated Christmas, we also wanted to visit the Berlin Wall Memorial.

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Where is the Berlin Wall?

How to get to the Berlin Wall

- By Train
There is the Bernauer Strasse U-Bahn station on the blue Line 8, which will take you to the eastern end of the memorial park, and the S-Bahn station at the Western end on S1 & S25 routes.

- By Bus/Tram
There is a stop on the M10 route next to the Berlin Wall Memorial Gardens

Approaching the Berlin Wall Memorial Park

A reminder of the Cold War
As we walked closer to the Berlin Wall, my steps seemed to get slower; I couldn’t believe we were coming face-to-face with it.
A view as the Berlin Wall as arcs around against Bernauer Strasse with just the tower blocks in the background.
Berlin Wall along Bernauer Strasse
After just stopping and staring at it for a while, I couldn’t help myself but go and touch the wall. I just laid the palm of my hand on it, where so many hands must have felt it before.

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A little bit of history of the Berlin Wall

The barrier between East and West Berlin
Prior to the wall being erected, the communist Germany Democratic Republic (GDR) tried to stop the flood of East Berliners from migrating to West Berlin. During the late 1940s and 1950s, it is believed that over three million people defected to the West.
Graffitied sections of the Berlin Wall at the memorial near Bernauer Strasse
Sections removed from the Berlin Wall

It is astonishing to comprehend that the initial barrier was erected over one night.

When Berliners awoke on the 13th of August, 1961, life would barely be the same again.

The preliminary barrier was of barbed wire; however, within a few days, the wall was erected, with checkpoints and manned border crossings along the route.

What a year!!

1989 was a significant year in history for many countries; Romania saw the fall of communism with the overthrow of Nicolae Ceaușescu. Then, in the Fareast, China witnessed the Tiananmen Square Protests in Beijing.
A blown-up picture on the end of a building block depicting the scene of the Berlin Wall in 1961.
Memories along Acker Strasse
The completed concrete wall was around 68 miles long and just under 12 feet tall. In addition, over 40 miles of barbed wire fencing and more than 300 look-out towers were manned day and night.

Discover Berlin’s historical past

Jump on this reasonably priced 4-hour walking tour. Just a few of the sites you’ll see are the Brandenburg Gate, Checkpoint Charlie and the Berlin Wall.

The Berlin Wall Memorial

Remembering the suffering

The open-air memorial is so touching, and it was just here that “no-man’s land” ran along, otherwise known as the “Death Strip”. The location where so many risked and lost their lives for freedom.
 
It was also here, between “no-man’s land”, that a cemetery was located. The graves have since been removed.

A view of a split in the Berlin Wall allowing you to see both the east & west sides.
Berlin Wall East and West

As you stroll around the memorial grounds by the wall, you feel this unnerving, silent, chilling presence of what occurred here only 30 years ago.
 
There’s an incredibly touching commemorative wall, which will always stay in my memory. Photographs of innocent people from the very young to the old, with the dates that they lost their lives while trying to cross the strip to a better life.

An oxidised metal memorial picture frame of 3 rows of portraits of those who died trying to cross the Berlin Wall.
Commemorative wall at the Berlin Wall Memorial

The stories are so moving, too; voices were being played of families that had been separated during this horrific time.
 
One was of a family that lived on the eastern side and would stand at their window. They looked out across the wall, and as they could not wave at their loved ones for fear of being caught, they would stroke their hair instead.

A grey and bleak view of the Berlin Wall from the grass area that's was once known as the "Death Strip"
Bleakness of the Berlin Wall
It was so incredibly moving.

Have we tempted you yet?

Berlin is recognised as a bright, vibrant German city and should be on any traveller's wishlist. There will be accommodation to fit your specific needs, so why not check it out on Booking.com?

The Berlin Wall still in place

On Bernauer Strasse
The Chapel of Reconciliation, which now stands within the Berlin Wall Memorial, was founded on the same site where the former Reconciliation Church once stood. When the Berlin Wall was erected, the church sat on the “Death Strip”, which made the church inaccessible. In 1985, the East German government gave the orders for the original church to be blown up.
A modern oval place of worship built on the original "Chapel of Reconciliation."
Chapel of Reconciliation, by the Berlin Wall
Just by the chapel are metal markings on the ground, where so many tunnels were dug in an attempt to reach the west.
Steel stepping-stones across the grass of no-man's-land marks out the path of "Tunnel 57", another attempt to breach the Berlin Wall.
One of the tunnels dug under the wall
Four rusting iron girders pointing towards the sky representing of the Watchtower Memorial Strelitzer Strasse.
Watchtower Memorial Strelitzer Strasse
It was also astonishing to see that some buildings along Bernauer Strasse, where the wall was erected in 1961, remain. Murals & pictures are now on the side of them, depicting how time progressed.
A large picture of people fleeing across the street on a building on Bernauer Strasse.
Homes along Bernauer Strasse, on the edge of the Berlin Wall
The other image that sends chills down my spine is the sight of the watchtower; they just shout segregation, control and imprisonment.
A watchtower in no-man's-land against a grey sky.
Watchtower by the Berlin Wall

Visit Berlin

There is so much to see and do in Berlin, don't forget to visit the official Visit Berlin site.

And if you plan on visiting, seriously consider the Berlin WelcomeCard, which offers discounts on major attractions and free transport around Berlin zone ABC.

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Discovering the Berlin Wall

And its stories
While walking by the Wall, it is so apparent to see which side of the Berlin Wall was on the east and which on the west. As the western section was graffitied and on the eastern side not a flash of colour was to be seen.
A section of the heavily graffitied Berlin Wall.
Graffitied Berlin Wall
A view of the Belin wall with no graffiti, and just exposed iron reinforcement bars within the structure of the concrete wall.
The graffiti-free side of the Berlin Wall
In some sections where the Wall has been demolished or removed, cast iron rods have been inserted into the ground.
A section of the Berlin Wall where the structure has been replaced with evenly spaced iron rods that allow you to see through where the wall once stood.
Cast iron rods replace the Wall
This gives quite a weird perception and makes it like a window to the other side.

Fly into Berlin

Berlin is served by Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER), and it's under 18 miles or 30km from the centre of the city.

Why not check out Booking.com for your flights in the city and start planning that well-deserved break?

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Around Berlin

Other places you can find the Berlin Wall

While in Berlin, we also headed to Checkpoint Charlie and Potsdamer Platz.

Checkpoint Charlie was one of the main crossing points between East and West Berlin during the Cold War. It played quite a significant role during this period, although now it has become a bit of a tourist attraction. However, I still wanted to see it.

The white wooden hut of the US Army at Checkpoint Charlie in Berlin at Christmas
Checkpoint Charlie
A single concrete section of the wall that now stands near the Checkpoint Charlie Museum.
Part of the Berlin Wall
Potsdamer Platz was completely destroyed during World War II. Then, when the construction of the Berlin Wall began, it ran straight through the centre of the square and made it an even more bleak and uninhabitable area
Sections of the Berling Wall, intersected with storyboards, by Potsdamer Platz underground station.
Berlin Wall sections in Potsdamer Platz

Potsdamer Platz played a pivotal role in the fall of the Wall, and its border crossing opened on 11th November 1989.

Today, this part of town has completely been regenerated and is home to the Sony centre. As you wander throughout the city of Berlin, you’ll keep seeing markers in the ground where the Berlin Wall would have stood.

If you've yet to discover Berlin's incredible history, then let’s start planning. I find these DK Travel Guides invaluable, they're extremely informative, easy to follow, and the pictures and maps tempt you into discovering more of those fascinating sites.

You can now grab a recently revised copy of this guidebook, so you won't miss a thing.

DK Berlin cover

The Brandenburg Gate

A crossing in the Berlin Wall
Just along the road from Potsdamer Platz is the Brandenburg Gate. It has often been the site of significant historical events. On the night of 9th November 1989, scenes of mass celebrations occurred here. Although, it wasn’t until 22nd December 1989 that the border crossing at Brandenburg Gate was opened.
The illuminated Brandenburg gate at dusk.
The Brandenburg Gate

Hit the road

If you’d like to discover more of Germany on a road trip, why not give Rental Cars a go. They search multiple well-known car hire brands for the best deals.

Why the Berlin Wall is important

You really should visit
Some people may not feel comfortable visiting such a poignant place in our history; however, I was so pleased we did. Reading their stories or walking around the memorial is challenging, but we must remember it.

If you're interested in historical Berlin, then also free is a look at the Reichstag.

Why not check out our post for more - 'A visit to The Reichstag Building, Berlin'.

Dec / 2019

A visit to The Reichstag Building, Berlin

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