History
The Berlin Wall – a symbol of the peaceful German revolution.
The significance of the Wall as a timeless symbol of the universal possibility of overcoming totalitarian division through peaceful protest – as a timeless symbol of the will to freedom – is understood throughout the world.
13th August 1961 – 9th November 1989
The Berlin Wall – a symbol of the peaceful German revolution.
The significance of the Wall as a timeless symbol of the universal possibility of overcoming totalitarian division through peaceful protest – as a timeless symbol of the will to freedom – is understood throughout the world.
The Wall
THE FALL OF THE WALL AS A SOURCE OF HOPE
For people in today’s conflict zones – such as Mexico, Korea, Iran, Israel and Ukraine – the Berlin Wall remains a symbol of hope: what the Germans achieved peacefully in 1989 can be achieved anywhere. No regime on earth can withstand the free will of its citizens in the long run. To this day, and into the future, the art on the Wall carries the universal message of creativity and freedom.
Wall Art
THE WORLD’S LARGEST CANVAS
The so-called ‘Iron’ Curtain was in fact made of concrete, and was used on the freely accessible side as the ‘world’s largest canvas’. Jim Avignon, Kiddy Citny, Keith Haring and Thierry Noir are now representative of the hundreds of creative artists who left their messages on the ‘Anti-Fascist Protection Rampart’ (GDR terminology).
Wall Art
THE EDITIONS OF THE WALL ARTISTS
Since 2009, the VisibleWall project has sought to contribute to the documentation of historical Wall art, to inspire contemporary artists anew and, above all, to open up a creative approach to German history for younger and future generations.
Every day in Berlin, thousands of people set out in search of the remaining relics of the border wall. Thanks to the ongoing research carried out since 2009 by the Federal Foundation for the Reappraisal of the SED Dictatorship, we now know that there are currently more than 280 complete sections of the wall, which once formed the Berlin Wall, spread across at least 170 locations worldwide.
Many sections of the Wall have gone missing, whilst some may resurface in the future bearing new messages.
Recommended reading on today’s Wall sites in Berlin:
www.stiftung-berliner-mauer.de/de/stiftung/karte-der-erinnerungsorte
Die Berliner Mauer in der Welt
Berlin Story Verlag 2021
ISBN 978-3-95723-184-0
https://www.bundesstiftung-aufarbeitung.de/de/publikationen/die-berliner-mauer-der-welt
