Relevant to students of: Life in East Germany, the Stasi and terror state, the Berlin Wall, Communist Control of Eastern Europe.
The Berlin Wall Memorial comprises the visitors centre and documentation centre as well as the open air exhibits along Bernauer Strasse
It sits on the former border strip on the east side of the Berlin Wall and Students can see the development of the Berlin Wall including its foundations, expansion and fortification alongside learning of the people whose lives were changed by it. The stories of the residents who lived in its shadow, the escape tunnels and details of the perpetrators who participated in the division are presented here. A “Window of Remembrance” records the names, dates and photos of the victims of the Berlin Wall. There is also a monument dedicated to the memory of the divided city and victims of communist tyranny.
The Documentation Centre focuses on the building of the Berlin Wall. From its observation tower, you can see a section of the original border. The network of walls, fences and barriers is clearly visible, giving students a deep understanding of the complexity of the wall and the difficulty in escaping from behind it. The watchtower, death strip and fortifications expose the dark irony that the officially titled Anti-Fascist Protective Wall’s defences were all pointed inwards, to East German territory. Students can see the proximity of the Berlin Wall to apartment buildings and understand why escape became more difficult as the wall developed. Inside, students can hear audio from East and West German radio broadcasts. Students can access a digital archive of original documentation also.