Berlin: East Side Gallery

A definite must see in Berlin for both art and history lovers is the East Side Gallery. 

Located near the city's centre, this international memorial for freedom is the most extensive open-air gallery in the world, spanning 1.3 kilometres and features 101 images painted onto a remaining section of the Berlin Wall. 

While in Berlin the East Side Gallery is always high on my list of things to see.

GETTING THERE

​After meeting at Brandenburg gate, some sight-seeing in the general area and a cheeky smoke in the Tiergarten, my friend Amanda and I decided to make our way across town to the East Side gallery. 

I am unsure - maybe our brains weren't functioning, or perhaps it is confusing, but ignoring the hour we spent figuring out the S-Bahn and U-Bahn confuffle in Berlin, the gallery is easy to get to and is only a short walk from Berlin Warschauer Straße or Berlin Ostbahnhof (train stations). 

Once arriving, we laughed, realising the gallery was 300 meters from Amanda's backpacker hostel, and she knew exactly how to get back to her accommodation quickly from Brandenburg Gate.

A traditional East Side Gallery kiss in front of Mein Gott hilf mir, diese tödliche Liebe zu überleben (May god help me to survive this deadly love) by Dimitri Vrubel. [Photo taken in 2013]

Diagonale Lösung (Diagnall Solution) by Michail Serebrjakow. [Photo taken 2012]

Berlyn by Gerhard Lahr. [Photo taken in 2013]

Marionetten eines abgesetzten Stücks (Puppets of a Remote Piece) by Marc Engel. [Photo taken 2012]

Vergesst mir die Liebe nicht (Do not forget my Love) by Henry Schmidt [Photo taken in 2013]

Ohne Titel (Untitled) by Hans Bierbrauer covered in graffiti. [Photo taken in 2013]

The rear of the gallery (opposite side) with Masken (Masks) by Wjatscheslaw Schljachow along the panels on the left.
[Photo taken in 2013]

Imagery lining the rear (other side) of the gallery. [Photo taken in 2013]

Image honoring Conrad Schumann and his famous leap over barbed wire into West Berlin in 1961.
[Photo taken in 2013]

Blending in infront of Worlds People - Wir sind ein Volk (Worlds People - We are a people) by Schamil Gimajew. [Image taken in 2013]

VANDALISM

I didn't realise this until returning to the East Side Gallery, but I was quite lucky the previous year. The murals had just been retouched and were in a much better condition in 2012. 

As the East Side Gallery is outdoors, erosion is a factor; however, vandalism and graffiti are significant issues. I was shocked to see the condition of the wall upon returning, some of my favourite pieces had been ruined or covered by the pointless scribble. 

In saying this, some of the graffiti does add a particular type of ambience. I am a fan of the graffiti covering the East Side Gallery sign and Ohne Titel (Untitled) by Hans Bierbrauer at the beginning of the gallery. However, I believe that out of respect it should stop there and not continue to spill onto the rest of the wall/ artworks. Quite a few of the artists are now deceased, and it is disappointing to see their work ruined. 

Below are some comparisons of the condition of the wall one year apart.

DANKE ANDREK SACHAROW BY DIMITRI WRUBEL 

Photo taken in 2012 - Showing the piece in almost pristine condition.

Photo taken in 2013 - The piece and surrounding wall covered in graffiti.

TEST THE BEST (TEST THE REST) BY BIRGIT KINDER

Photo taken in 2012 - Showing the piece with minimal graffiti.

Photo taken in 2013 - The piece completely covered with pointless tags and scribble.

OHNE TITEL (UNTITLED) BY LUTZ POTTIEN

Photo taken in 2012 - The piece has been vandalised however generally only by pen, and most of the scribble is tiny with at least some respect given as to not draw on the actual image.

Photo taken in 2013 - 1 year later the piece is now almost completely covered in graffiti.

DEVELOPER REMOVES SEGMENTS OF THE EAST SIDE GALLERY

Himlen over Berlijn by Karina Bjerregaard
& Lotte Haubart Nielsen.
Photo by Julian Nitzsche.

​In March 2013 a developer removed a 1.2-meter section of the wall (Himlen over Berlijn by Karina Bjerregaard & Lotte Haubart Nielsen) to build an access path to a new residential complex. A substantial proportion of Berliners have a vested interest in preserving the remaining stretch of the Berlin wall, and the decision, sure enough, caused an uproar. 

Protesters gathered in their thousands from early March upon the removal of the first panel until finally, at 5 AM in the morning on the 27th of March 2013, the developer swooped in guarded by 250 police and the final pieces were taken (read about it here). 

Personally, I was pretty disgusted to hear that such a piece of history could be compromised so easily and removed for something as petty as a driveway. However, oh wow did my morals, unfortunately, fly out the window when on my next visit I noticed I could buy pieces of "the wall" as a tacky souvenir. I highly doubt my small part is genuine, but for now, I will ignore common sense and intuition, and tell myself that I have a little slice of German history placed on my desk.

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EXTRA IMAGES [click to enlarge]

Happy to be finally out of hospital
(a story for another time)
The Big Kremlin's Wind by Theodor Chezlav Tezhik.
[Image taken in 2012]

The Big Kremlin's Wind by Theodor Chezlav Tezhik (left)
Europas Frühling (Europe Spring) by Catrin Resch (right)
[Image taken in 2012]

A view of the East Side Gallery with Mauern International by Alexej Taranin in the foreground.
[Image taken in 2012]

A view of the East Side Gallery with Alles offen (Let Grow) by Rosemarie Schinzler & Wachsen lassen (All Open) by Rosemarie Schinzler in the foreground
[Image taken in 2012]

A close up of Es geschah im November (It happened in November) by Kani Alavi. [Image taken in 2013]

Himmel und Sucher (Sky and Viewfinder) by Peter Russell.
[Photo taken in 2013]

Amour Paix (Love Peace) by Hervé Morlay & Andreas Paulun [Photo taken in 2013]

Stay Free by Christopher Frank
[Photo taken in 2013]

A close up of Sprossen (Sprouts) by Teresa Casanueva
[Image taken in 2012]

Hommage an die Junge Generation (Tribute to the Young Generation) by Thierry Noir [Photo taken in 2013]

Ohne Titel (Untitled) by Georg Lutz (Rauschebart)
[Photo taken in 2013]

A close up of Uhr menschen der Computer (Clock of the computer people) by César Olhagaray.
[Photo taken in 2013]

A close up of Mauerspringer (Mauer Jumps) by Gabriel Heimler. [Photo taken in 2013]

Worlds People -Wir sind ein Volk (Worlds People - We are a people) by Schamil Gimajew [Image taken in 2012]

A close up of the wall.
Artist and title unknown.
[Photo taken in 2013]

A close up of Sonic Malade by Greta Ida Csatlòs.
[Photo taken in 2013]

EAST SIDE GALLERY LOCATION

Mühlenstraße, 10243 Berlin, Germany

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