The Berlin Wall: The East Side Gallery

If I asked you to name two famous walls, what are the odds that you will say “the Great wall of china and the Berlin Wall”?
One or two rock fans among you may also note Pink Floyd’s “The Wall”, but with that we've named the most known walls I guess.

For those of you who have just arrived from another planet or have been sleeping through most history classes, I’ll give you a short explanation of what the Berlin Wall is.
Stick with me, it’s not that much.

Important facts about the Berlin Wall also known as the Iron Curtain

Why was the Berlin Wall built / why was the Berlin Wall put up?
After the 2nd world war, Germany was separated into an eastern (GDR) and a western (BRD) country, which also included a separation of Berlin according to the divisions (West Berlin as British, French and American – East Berlin as the Russian sector). So the socialistic regime in the east wanted to “protect” its national border from the capitalistic influence from West Berlin by building this Wall as an “anti-fascistic barricade”.
When was the Berlin Wall built?
The construction started on 13th of august in 1961 and took a couple of months to be finished.
Who ordered the Berlin Wall?
Walter Ulbricht, president of the GDR at this time, ordered (subsidiary for the interests of the socialistic regime and those of Russia) the build-up of the Berlin Wall.
How long was the Berlin Wall?
The longitude between West Berlin and East Berlin (inter-city border) was 43.1 km.

When was the Berlin wall knocked down?
The “knock-down” started in the night between Thursday, November 9th and Friday November 10th in 1989, after over 28 years of existence.
Why was the Berlin wall torn down?
Because it was time for a change! The opening of the Berlin Wall was driven by numerous manifestations and the demand for “travel freedom” in the former GDR. There was a continuous so-called “escape of the Republic” – where large parts of the population of the GDR flew into the Federal Republic of Germany on international territories, through embassies in several Eastern European capitals (among others Prague and Warsaw) and partly in Hungary since it opened its border with Austria on September 11th in 1989.
Considering just how historical this Berlin landmark is, it’s amazing how much it has been neglected. Thanks only to an artistic accident of history, the East Side Gallery is one of the few surviving pieces of the Wall still standing and relatively intact

The Berlin Wall East Side Gallery is a 1.3km-long section of the wall near the center of Berlin. Approximately 106 paintings by artists from all over the world cover this memorial for freedom and make it the largest open air gallery in the world.
Running from the Kreuzberg end of Warschauer Strasse until near the Ostbahnhof train station, the East Side Gallery is a large portion of the Berlin Wall that has been left over from the Cold war and separation era and become transformed into a gallery of works from over one hundred worldwide artists from all corners of the globe and all walks of life. The gallery, which is free to view by anyone, is supposed to “document to times of change and express the euphoria and great hopes for a better and free future for all people of the world” (guide book). Renovated in the past decade, it is quite a sight to behold, and kept to a high standard.
I have walked so many times across and my experience of viewing it over and over again was really one of awe and admiration. The level of detail and lack of graffiti are quite intriguing, as with the varied messages being portrayed by each artist. Each depicting anything from a crack in a divisive world to quotes showing the power of the individual to influence the unification of mankind and the pacification of our species. Quite powerful messages overall to be fair and it’s no surprise that it is such a tourist attraction.

It seems to be the major draw for normal touristy types (ie Not Techno Tourists) into the Kreuzberg, especially seeing as no matter what time of the day, sun, rain or snow, you’re going to get caught as a photo bomber in at least twenty tourist photographs if you walk or cycle past it so be careful.
The easiest way to access the gallery if you are unwilling to spend a small fortune on a bus tour full of hardcore camera wielding tourists hell bent of photographing absolutely every single thing in the entire world… Is to make your way to Warschauer S Bahn station, easily accessible from Alexander platz and all other central locations. Exit the station and turn left on the bridge, keep walking downhill until you reach another red bricked bridge, turn your head 45 degrees to the right and voila. All you have to do then is to cross the street safely and the East Side gallery is your Oyster!