The Berlin Wall: a place of suffering
When it was erected on August 13, 1961, the Berlin Wall became a worldwide synonym for tyranny and inhumanity. Its record of horror includes 136 people killed by the use of firearms, plus around 200 who died while crossing the border as a result of the hardships of interrogations and body searches by the GDR border guards.
The Berlin Wall: a place of miracles
The miracle of the Berlin Wall on November 9, 1989 ended this painful chapter in German-German history. It also ended the separation of the people in East and West, who had become strangers to each other during the forty years of two states in the two different political systems. The commemoration of the 40th anniversary of the building of the Wall in 2001 provided the impetus to counteract this trend with a broad-based culture of remembrance.
The Berlin Wall: a place of remembrance
2024 marks the 35th anniversary of the fall of the Wall, an event of global historical significance. To mark the occasion, the Mitte Museum is showing a selection of photographs by Berlin photographer Gottfried Schenk, who was able to document the overcoming and dismantling of the monstrous structure as a contemporary and eyewitness. In a long-term project, he has tracked down and recorded the remains of the Wall and memorial sites in the cityscape.
Opening
Thursday, 5.12.24, 6:30 pm
Speakers
Nathan Friedenberg, Director of the Mittemuseum; Stefan Wolle, historian; Gottfried Schenk, photographer
Admission
free of charge
Registration
not required
Additional exhibition
On the occasion of the 35th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, further photographs by Gottfried Schenk will be shown in advance from 31.10.24 under the title Living with the Wall . Translated with DeepL
Runtime: Fri, 06/12/2024 to Tue, 25/02/2025