t The Window of Memorial shows those who died trying to cross the Wall
L2 ⌂ Bernauer Strasse 119 Nordbahnhof Bernauer Strasse @ M8, M10 v 245, 247 # Opening times vary, see website for details ∑ berliner-mauer-gedenkstaette.de
The Berlin Wall Memorial on Bernauer Strasse is dedicated to the people who were killed by the Eastern border guards while attempting to escape into West Berlin.
t The Window of Memorial shows those who died trying to cross the Wall
Experience North Mitte and Prenzlauer Berg
t The Mauerspringer (wall jumper) sculpture, added to the site in 2003
Only small fragments of the Berlin Wall have survived. One of these, along Bernauer Strasse, is now an official place of remembrance. The location of the memorial here is poignant as the street was cut in two, resulting in people jumping to the West side from upper-floor buildings that stood right on the dividing line, while border guards were bricking up doors and windows facing west. Today, the memorial is a grim reminder of the hardship the division inflicted on the city. It includes a museum and various installations along 2 km (1 mile) of the former border.
Initially the Berlin Wall consisted simply of rolls of barbed wire. However, these were eventually replaced by a 4-m (13-ft) wall safeguarded by a second wall made from reinforced concrete. This second wall was topped with a thick pipe to prevent people from reaching the top of the Wall with their fingers. Along the Wall ran what was known as a “death zone”, an area controlled by guards with dogs. Where the border passed close to houses, the inhabitants were relocated. Along the entire length of the 55-km (96-mile) wall there were 293 watchtowers, along with 57 bunkers and, later on, alarms.
Experience North Mitte and Prenzlauer Berg
Hidden inside Nordbahnhof station is a fascinating public exhibition about “ghost stations”: stations where trains passed through East Germany but passengers were not able to leave the train until it reached West Berlin again. These stations were dimly lit places patrolled by armed East German border guards and occasionally used for daring escapes.
The number of years that the Berlin Wall split the city in two.