The Wall has a strong historical significance due to the fact it divided a nation as well as the capital city, Berlin. According to the documentation center, the Berlin Wall is a symbol of the Cold War and the communist dictatorship of the German Democratic Republic (GDR). The fall of the Wall symbolizes the end of the division of Germany and also the dictatorship that was peacefully overcome. The documentation center consists of text and pictures displayed on description boards, audio clips and video clips and a lookout tower. Clearly depicted in the museum through the multiple exhibits is the division of the people including families, neighbours, friends, co-workers. Many pictures show the displeasure of the people with the construction of the Wall and division of Berlin. The documentation center and its surrounding area also depict the destruction that the wall caused, as evidenced through the demolition of the church on the eastern border. The documentation center and surrounding area also represent the individuals who became victims of the Wall. It was stated that 138 people died at the Berlin Wall. The documentation center includes stories of people who tried to flee and were consequently imprisoned and those who successfully fled to the west. An interactive part of the museum includes many recounted stories of Germans who were living in Berlin during the early 1960’s. A recurring theme was the lack of freedom the East Germans were permitted. The lookout tower provides a view of the part of the Berlin Wall that has been preserved. Around this wall are monuments in the sidewalk commemorating victims that were persecuted or killed while attempting to flee. What remains of the wall continues to be a somber symbol of the division, lack of freedom, pain and suffering, and it is clearly illustrated through the documentation center and the surrounding area.
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| Women on either side of the border on the day the Berlin Wall was first built. |
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| A quote from the former Mayor of Berlin expressing his lack of support for the division. |
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| A description of Günter Litfin, the first fugitive to be killed while attempting to flee. |
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| An interactive portion of the Documentation Center where former residents share recounted stories from the times of the Wall. |
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A view from the lookout tower showing inner wall and
the Berlin Wall, as well as the area in between, formerly known as the “death
strip”.
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2 comments:
I thought the personal accounts given by the escapees were incredibly interesting. I always find that I get a better sense of the situation and circumstances if I can see first hand accounts. It also gives the visitors of the museum a better connection with the exhibit when there is an interactive portion. I thought it was amazing hearing first hand accounts of what it was like to escape from East Berlin. One man in particular, Karl Heinz Nagel escaped to West Berlin on September 19, 1961. He explained that he hid in a building and held a light to show the people in the West that he was wanting to escape. He was able to run across into the West where a bus stopped and grabbed him, asking if others were with him. He explained his fear during the escape. This escape was obviously right after the Wall was built, so it became more difficult to escape after that.
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