Reflecting on the Berlin Wall

When one thinks of Berlin, it's likely that the Berlin Wall comes to mind among the Brandenburg Gate and Reichstag.  This is because it has had a huge cultural impact on Berlin, even in its relatively short existence.  The Berlin Wall was a symbol of division, a barrier on freedom, and arguably one of the biggest personifications of communism and the Soviet government.  The Wall was built in essence in one day, with the complete segregation of the Western sector of Berlin through fences, walls and even barbed wire.  This meant that any persons who just lived life and happened to be in the wrong area were suddenly cut off from everything they had.  Over the next 28 years, this wall and the ideological reasons behind it caused many East Berliners to leave behind their lives to try to escape to the West, through any means.  The documentation centre of the Berlin Wall details the lives of these people and struggle for freedom that they faced.  From the video exhibits, with interviews from those who managed to escape or live their days out in the East, to small biographies of important individuals and their role relating to the wall, this museum clearly had two major themes: Life and Freedom.