Berlin is a fascinating, confusing – ultimately thought-provoking city. A place and people acutely aware of their past, yet driven towards their future. A guide to the East side gallery Berlin by iRide.
From the towering skyscrapers of the Potsdamer district to the bombed-out shell of the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, today’s Berlin is a city of split personalities. A place where the constructs and architecture of modern aspiration jostle for space amongst remnants of darker times. Nowhere is this better exemplified than at the East Side Gallery. Scroll down for guide, video and images.
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Berlin’s East Side Gallery
The East Side Gallery is a perfect example of past living with present – an open-air, barrier-less, free-to-view exhibition on a remaining 1.3km stretch of the iconic Wall. At first glance, you will (rightly) wonder if it’s a memorial, an artwork or a tourist attraction. In truth, it’s probably all three.
In a time when statues are being torn down and people seem so keen on rewriting history, the Wall and Gallery show us there’s value in keeping our history – as unpleasant as that history may be at times – but a record that servers as a reminder to never repeat the same mistakes again.
If you do only one thing while you’re in Berlin, take time to walk the East Side Gallery. Really, you have no excuse. It’s open day and night, there’s no entrance fee and it only takes an hour or so to walk its length. The East Side Gallery is a living memorial to a not-so-distant past – and a credit to the people who fought to let it remain.
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Overview of the East Side Gallery
Video of the East Side Gallery works
More about Berlin’s East Side Gallery
For more detailed information on Berlin, its history and professional images from the Wall follow the links below.
History of Berlin
History of the wall
East Side Gallery
