The Berlin Wall
Today remarks the 25 years Fall of the Berlin Wall on 9 November 1989. The wall was separated West Berlin from East Germany and East Berlin in 1961. It was partly as the consequences of the separation of Germany after the World War Two and following to the Cold War that divided the country into the non Soviet and the pro Soviet. There was no freedom movements for the citizens, especially those who lived on the pro Soviet part.
Peter Fechter was the first victim of the Berlin Wall’s border guards when he tried to cross from the pro Soviet (East Germany) to the non Soviet (West Germany). He was shot when he was still on the wall, sadly he fell on the East part. He was bleeding for one hour next on the border without any medical assistance and finally died. Tragically, this event was watched by people from the East and the West but no one was able to help him – fear, powerless and perhaps suspicious thoughts to what the other side might do.
After this incident, at least 171 people were killed when trying to escape from the East Germany to the West Germany. But there were also success stories of more than 5000 East Germans managed to cross the border to reach the west. No one would enjoy living in closed border and political mind.
During my visit to the what remains of the Berlin Wall, I also passed by the Holocaust Memorial to remember the World War Two genocide. It was designed byย architect Peter Eisenman. The memorial consists of 2711 concrete blocks, smart design and beautifully scattered on an open plaza. The memorial has raised many critics and controversies. One of them as I read from TravCult, that the blocks were protected byย anti-graffiti chemical coating until a newspaper in Switzerland in 2003 reported aย subsidiary company of the anti-graffiti chemical company was the producer of the gas that used to poison people in the Nazi gas chambers.
ร was glad to be able to visit these important memorials during my short visit in Berlin. They reminded us that barriers would not facilitate justice, peace nor even promoting welfare, and may these tragedies would not be repeated.
Did you see the video that Google had posted a few days ago? It was a beautiful and moving tribute to the day the Wall fell…and I was surprised to learn that there are pieces of the Wall symbolically placed all over the world!
I did! Actually the video was inspired me to write this post – plus some news on the Dutch TV ๐ Indeed, it was very moving!
I love that last shot, Indah. A sad tale in history, for sure.
Thank you Draco, let’s hope the political leaders learn from this..
Great article ๐
Thank you so much ๐
Yeah, the wall in Berlin is really important in this country’s history. Thanks for writing such an interesting post ๐
My pleasure!
Thank you so much! Have a great week!
Great shot, and what a history ~ hard to believe it’s been so long and the story of the guard is something else…like another world.
๐ Thank you Randall!
Thanks for sharing Indah. The last pic is beautiful.
Thank you so much Jackson ๐
Thank You for this current topic. Last time we visited there in October the 23th, 1995.
The pleasure is mine ๐