The East Side Gallery is the longest surviving section of the former Berlin Wall. It is best known for the many colorful frescoes that have covered it since 1990.
A Visit of the East Side Gallery Is Optional
In November 1989, the fall of the Berlin Wall was the starting point for events that would lead to Reunification a year later. The opening of the borders initiated the process, but did not definitively settle the German question. History is not linear, and in the winter of 1989/90, anything was still possible. Under popular pressure, the GDR could have embarked on a democratic turnaround and continued to exist.
The real turning point came with the East German parliamentary elections on March 18, 1990. The victory of the coalition parties in favor of joining West Germany condemned the GDR once and for all. The collapse of the East German state ushered in a new phase in the Peaceful Revolution. From April to September 1990, East Berlin became a testing ground for all kinds of utopias: the city experienced an irresistible political, social and artistic upheaval.
In spring, a hundred artists from all over the world took over a long section of the wall on the banks of the river in East Berlin. Their works question German identities and advocate freedom of movement, pacifism and universalism. The themes are unifying and the symbols are powerful. This outdoor exhibition, to be known as the East Side Gallery, testifies to the enthusiasm of contemporaries and illustrates their hopes for a better world.
Many of the works are iconic and world-famous. They also contribute to the image Berlin wishes to project of itself. Every year, millions of visitors from Germany and abroad make their way up the East Side Gallery.
Authentic Trompe-L'œil
The East Side Gallery is located between the Ostbahnhof train station and the Warschauer Strasse underground/tram station. It's best to start from the former, as the area around Warschauer Strasse is much more welcoming, and there are plenty of places to eat and drink.
The frescoes cover the inside of the wall. The visitor thus walks up the East Side Gallery from west to east along the road, in the presence of fairly noisy traffic. The sidewalk has not been widened, and people jostle for space. During busy periods, crowds form and everyone waits their turn to take a photo in front of the most emblematic works. Peddlers and impromptu artists liven up the scene.
Some sections of the East Side Gallery are obstructed by security fences. Others, however, are strangely empty. In fact, the city regularly renovates and even reproduces them. These are not identical copies, but subject to the new artist's interpretation. Due to opposition from the rightful owners, some unrenovated works have simply been erased. As a result, new projects are emerging that have nothing to do with the original spirit.
Story of an Unsuccessful Ambition
The East Side Gallery is a succession of copies and new works. In this sense, it is more a cultural object than a historical one. This raises two major issues.
Firstly, what kind of culture are we talking about? If we're talking about memories of the Wall, the evidence is overwhelming. The experience is not educational, the works are left open to interpretation, and their themes are overshadowed by the importance of the visual. For three decades, the public authorities have been incapable of sustaining a coherent cultural project. As a result, the East Side Gallery is first and foremost a tourist resort, both trendy and photogenic. The visitor's memory of it will be completely skewed.
Secondly, what is the function of the East Side Gallery? Originally, this section of the wall was a place of total expression, defying the forbidden and refusing to stand still. The spirit was avant-garde. In this sense, the relationship with the work was not to be standardized. Today, copies of period frescoes are sacralized, even shrine-like. Yet an alternative was possible: the opening of a documentation center reproducing the original works and the transformation of the East Side Gallery into a place for artistic creation and citizenship. Incidentally, the other side of the wall remained open to the public. Why not do it all? Such a paradigm shift would require immense political courage.
Reasons to Visit
Some very successful frescoes
Relive the feeling of an era
Beautiful views from the banks of the Spree
Reasons to Skip
Anarchic development of the site
Lack of authenticity of frescoes
Renunciation of freedom of expression
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