Being one of the brightest symbols of the most important epochs in the history of twenty and the history of mankind, the Berlin Wall continues to remain one of the most important landmarks of Berlin today. This structure was constructed during the cold war period, and acted as boundary between East and West Germany. After the collapse of the Wall in 1989 one can still see parts of the Wall throughout the city as a testimony to its history.

The Original Location

The Berlin Wall was originally built from approximately 96 miles that surrounded the West Berlin and divided it from East Berlin and the East Germany. It had watchtowers, electrified fences, and a death strip, surrounded by watchful armed guards and camouflaged weapons emplacements. The Wall also conducted the division in Berlin physically but it also delivered the cleavage between Capitalism and communism eye.

Remnants in Berlin

While more than eighty percent of the Berlin Wall was ripped down immediately after the division was breached, several pieces of it were collected and moved to other parts of the city. Much of what is left exerts architectural and historical value and is now common tourist attractions through which people can get to understand the effect of the Wall on Berlin and the whole world.

The East Side Gallery

Among the visited places with the remaining sections of the Berlin Wall, the East Side Gallery is in great demand now. This makes it an open air gallery covering over a kilometer length along the Spree River with painted murals on parts of the Wall. These remains were then used by artists of the whole world create works of art that are political and social statements on themes such as unity, hope and freedom. For this reason, the East Side Gallery represents courage and inspiration that people exhibit in their artwork.

The Berlin Wall Memorial

But should you want a more serious and meditative experience then do not miss the Berlin Wall Memorial. This memorial is located on Bernauer Strasse and does offer a good introduction to the Wall and its effects on Berlin’s residents. They can walk through the restored parts of the Wall, cross the actual border line and familiarise themselves with the fates of the people who tried to flee to the West. Thus, the memorial itself depicting the division concerning the Wall and the general overall people’s losses for the sake of freedom.

The Checkpoint Charlie Museum

Another location associated well with the Berlin Wall is the Check Point Charlie Museum. This museum opened at the place, which was the former border check point between the American and the Soviet sectors, and tells the story of the Wall including the attempts people undertook to flee from east to west Berlin. Employing products such as artefacts and the use of narrative histories and interactive installations, the museum educates its visitors on the experiences of the ‘villages of desperation’ on one side of the border, and the plight of REFugees on the ‘other’ side of the demarcated line.

International Exhibitions

However, there are parts of the Berlin Wall in many cities of the world which offer a wider view to the significance of the Wall.

The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library stemmed from the most ambitious of goals – that of ensuring the Reagan legacy would be brought to all Americans.

This section of the Wall is possibly the most monumental portion of the Berlin Wall in America: the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California. This, of course, is symbolic because it refers to President R Reagan’s speech when he said ‘tear down this wall’. At the library, visitors can get familiar with the link between the Cold war and the construction of the Berlin Wall.

The Imperial War Museum

The Imperial War Museum in London has a segment of the Berlin Wall on display but with other relics from the different warfare in history. This exhibition also gives a world view of the Wall and how this structure influenced the world and the cold war.

Papers: The Berlin Wall in Popular Culture

The Berlin Wall has also been widely illustrated in art since it symbolizes deep significance on the history of Germany.

Movies and Documentaries

There are many dramatic movies and documentary works that describe the stories, emotions and struggle connected with the existence of Berlin Wall. For instance, “The Lives of Others,” “Goodbye, Lenin!,” and, of course, the documentary series “The Wall.”

Books and Literature

John le Carré’s or at least Anna Funder’s “Stasiland” underlines the fact, that literature has been a driving force to grasp the nature of the Berlin Wall and its consequences. These pieces give readers an opportunity to be exposed to stories that are personal or historiographical in some way.

Conclusion

Despite the fact the the Berlin Wall is no longer built through out the city of Berlin controlling the access of the east side to the west side constructively, its effects can still be felt. Visiting the present days remains of the Wall and aiming at getting the sense of the given piece of historical creation can be helpful for gaining deeper understanding of the human soul, its capacities, strengths, and potential in terms of unity.