We followed the route of the illuminations through Mauerpark (Wall memorial park), the glow of the balloons intensifying as the sun was beginning to set. In the distance you could see another well-known landmark, the TV tower at Alexanderplatz. After a quick pit stop at the Royal Elephant Thai restaurant on Oderberger Strasse, we strolled toBernauer Str (bordering Wedding and Mitte districts) where the largest Wall memorial (1.4km long outdoor exhibition), is situated. This has a more sombre ambience as it portrays the grim construction of the Wall and border fortifications, as well as commemorating how people risked their lives to escape or sadly those who lost their lives in the process. It was dark (and cold!) by the time we reached here. The Wall and the high steel markers looked very spooky, but the illuminations surrounding it were a haunting contrast. Here you can also see the death strip and original watchtower, a true snapshot back in time which sends shivers through you.

wall markers and the original wall fortifications at the wall memorial bernauer str.

The touching plaque containing photos of those who tragically lost their lives really brought home this historical event and I was shocked to see children amongst the victims. We stood watching the Wall stories, this time it showed the true scale of the Wall, the impact of it going up and the people’s reaction/protests throughout its existence. The programme showed a demonstration which started off peaceful but soon turned violent when those who spoke their mind were rounded up and arrested, some of which were the elderly. One man stood there calmly speaking to the DDR police/guards asking why it was an offence to have freedom of speech and how could they arrest people for speaking their mind? The film also showed that when the night of the fall happened the guards had no idea what to do, some tried to stop it or waited for orders on what action to take, while others thankfully gave in.

We hopped on the S bahn to Brandenburger Tor to see the illuminations around this famous landmark. As expected the area was buzzing with locals and tourists taking photos of the Brandenburg Gate which beamed with a rotating colour lighting scheme as its backdrop. It took us ages to try and get the perfect picture and we must have asked about five or six people in process!

potsdamer platz

We passed through Potsdamer Platz, a true example of modern Berlin with its tall skyscrapers, modern buildings and shopping centres. A rather controversial area in the city due to the huge costs that were accumulated to redevelop it. Seeing small sections of the original graffiti wall against the background of these contemporary shining buildings, as well as the first winter market of the year in full swing, definitely reinstalls how far this city has come in 25 years.

creepy figure on the lookout, east side gallery

Our final destination was Warchauser Str. (Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg district) to visit the East Side Galley, a 1.3 km long section of the Berlin Wall and an international memorial/art mural representing freedom – a fitting end to day one of our Berlin Wall exploration. The illuminations looked particularly stunning here and it’s the most spectacular I have ever seen the artwork. Holding true to the districts partying reputation, it came as no surprise to stumble upon a street party blaring dance music with happy yet intoxicated people close to Pirates restaurant & bar, dancing or chatting with friends.

During the many hours Mel and I explored the Lichtgrenze, I asked her a few questions on what life was like in East Berlin, where she was born and grew up. Although she was also very young when the Wall was around and when it fell, she can recall snippets. For her parents who had spent half their lives in the DDR and knew no different, the coming down of the Wall and indeed this anniversary must be particularly poignant. On the night the Wall came down Mel’s parents, like many people went off to explore one of the checkpoints to see if what they had heard on TV was actually happening. Mel mentioned she can remember that there was a real sense of community growing up in the East. People really helped each other and shared the lack of resources they had, a mentality that older generations in Berlin maintain today.

east side gallery

Mel’s Mum is a hairdresser and back in those days would trade for oranges, for example or other essentials that we take for granted today. Mel’s Dad, a mechanic who had to fix vehicles with a lack of utensils and parts, certainly had a tough position. The skill to be able to do this was so remarkable, that when he began to work in the West after the reunification he was more skilled and greatly admired for this by his counterparts. Mel’s family were fortunate in the sense they had family in West Germany (Stuttgart) who were able to send them clothes and other basic items that weren’t available in the East. Although, like many others it must have been an incredibly difficult decision for her Grandparents to have made to stay in Berlin just before the Wall was built and not emigrate to the West. There wasn’t a lot of time for people to be able to make these drastic decisions and many weren’t convinced the division would actually occur.