Berlin Wall

RJMorris
First Reviewer
4 out of 5
Avg. Member Rating
7
Reviews
9
Photos
Editor Pick

Wall Memorial

  • July 11, 2007
  • Rated 5 of 5 by ripplefan2 from Queens, New York

While I was staying in the Eastern part of Berlin, my host felt in was necessary to visit the Berlin Wall Museum, and he couldn't have been more right. The remnants of the Wall are everywhere, with a brick path running throughout the city, showing where the wall once stood. I even believe that there is a Wall tour that follows the path, through Check Point Charlie and all around the city. But, back to the museum. We walked from where we were staying in East Berlin to the museum, and we got there, we were exhausted. When we entered, I believed we only paid a couple of euros and were immediately awe-struck by this place. The museum is multi-leveled, and you start from the bottom and work your way up. The first room consisted of videos of the Wall and people trying to get over it and not usually succeeding, the timeline of the Wall and the basic history of it.

As we ascended, the information, as hard to stomach as it was, was extremely detailed. When we reached the top floor, there was an observation deck that looks out over one of the still existing portions of the Wall and one of the old towers that overlooked everything. It was nothing less than surreal to see this sight of what Berlin used to be like when it was war torn. So, while in Berlin, I would highly suggest this museum just for the sheer fact that it is an amazing sight to see. And, if you can, try to take the Wall walking tour. I truly regret not doing it, but have heard that it is unbelievable.

From journal World Cup 2006 Berlin

Berlin Wall

  • January 24, 2007
  • Rated 5 of 5 by Mandan Lynn from Smithwick, South Dakota
Berlin Wall

I don't know what I expected.

I guess I have seen pictures before. I guess it looked about like I thought it would.

Though most of it has been torn down, there still stands about two blocks worth of the Berlin Wall.

We walked the length of it. This symbol of war and hate and division. This thing that, in my mind, has always been almost mythical, because how could people in the modern world actually believe it acceptable to imprison a group of people behind a wall? Not mythical. Real. I was looking at it.

I tried to imagine what it would have felt like if I couldn't have just walked around the thing to check out the other side of it. I couldn't do it. I couldn't place myself in a world like that—a world where people so wanted to be on the other side that they were willing to risk death to attempt to find that greener grass.

Sometimes I feel like the luckiest person in the world. Looking at what is left of the Berlin Wall, I realize, again, that I am.

From journal Berlin: Little Time in a Big City

Editor Pick

Berlin Wall

  • June 1, 2006
  • Rated 5 of 5 by Shady Ady from Hinckley, United Kingdom
Berlin Wall

The Berlin Wall split Berlin into two cities for 28 years, and is one activity not to be missed while visiting Berlin. In a mad rush to eradicate their hated landmark, Berliners tore down huge chunks of the 156km wall that once divided the city. Today it’s hard to find the remnants, with only three sections that remain. The most central standing relic of the wall, and most popular with tourists is on Niederkirchnerstrasse, alongside the “Topography of Terror” memorial to Nazi atrocities between 1933 and 1945. It is protected by a fence and pockmarked by the souvenir hunters that hammered away at it a decade ago. A second, longer section runs along Bernauer Strasse, just north of the centre. The third, known as the “East Side Gallery”, is on Mühlenstrasse.

After all I had heard about the wall, I was expecting to see a towering, sinister monstrosity, blocking out all sunlight. In reality it was just a thin piece of concrete, and I was left feeling highly disappointed. You will have to close your eyes to imagine the guard towers, searchlights, barking dogs and Kalashnikov shots that once made the wall the global symbol of the Iron Curtain.

Of the places where the wall is still standing I have visited both Niederkirchnerstrasse and Bernauer Strasse. I recommend visiting both of these. The first on Niederkirchnerstrasse, where the Topography of Terror memorial is located is well worth a visit (free entrance), and is filled with information and photos detailing the history of the War and the Wall. I spent a good hour walking through each part of the memorial reading the information available. It’s very informative, and the photos, some rather gruesome, help add a feeling of desperation that many of the Berliners must have been feeling. One of the photos that I will never forget is one of laughing Nazi soldiers posing with smiles for the camera, holding guns to the back of four Jewish prisoners’ heads, just before they are executed. The facial features are haunting. I would also suggest spending a bit of time reading the transcripts and writing still left on the Wall, as some of the graffiti is both inspiring and disturbing, and helps bring everything into perspective.

Niederkirchnerstrasse is easily the most visited part of the Wall left. If you are looking for somewhere less visited, where you can ponder your thoughts in solitude then I suggest Bernauer Strasse. There were no other tourists around when I visited here, which led to an enhanced experience.

You can easily spend a day walking the course of the Berlin Wall, and this is something I will do on my next visit to Berlin. There is a variety of information available to help you plan a walking tour of the Wall. The best I have come across are http://www.die-berliner-mauer.de/en/index.html and http://www.stadtentwicklung.berlin.de/bauen/wanderungen/en/strecke4.shtml. More information on the wall can be found at http://www.berlin-wall.org.

From journal A Week in Berlin

Berlin Wall

  • August 15, 2005
  • Rated 4 of 5 by himain10ance from Woodbridge, California
It is sad to see that there is only a small amount of the wall left. It is behind the fence and protected from vandals. There is a history walk all in German under the site. It is a must for anyone interested in history.

From journal Europe in May

Berlin Wall

  • August 8, 2003
  • Rated 4 of 5 by miriam1981 from Cork, Ireland
Imagine one day you woke up from your sleep in the morning and find out that your friends, neighbours, loved ones are across a thick wall, and that you cannot see them anymore. That´s what happened when the Berlin wall was built.

From 1961 up until 1989 the city of Berlin and actually the whole of Germany was divided into East and West. The wall was not circular but would sort of zig zag around the city. There are still small sections of it remaining as a memory of the past and a tourist attraction. It's really something to touch that wall, which has had so much happen around it.

From journal Berlin the german Capital

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