History Lesson - Berlin Wall

[LazyFrog60]

1) I thought I’d share these with you although they are not new. They were taken on a trip to Berlin in 1978 before the wall came down. The quality is not fantastic, I developed the film myself and it was the first film I developed so the negatives are somewhat imperfect, but I do believe they bring over the “feel” of Berlin at that time.

2) Someone wrote on the wall “the wall must go

3) The “wall” was actually not just one wall but two, divided by a no-mans-land varying between approx. 100m – 1 km across. Between the walls were anti-tank blocks, barbed wire and at some places mine fields. Houses which stood in the no-mans-land were removed, some were actually built into the wall itself and those that still stood on the East side were not allowed to have any windows overseeing the West side.

4) A cross erected for one of the many victims of people trying to escape over the west.

5) Between the walls – I found this picture especially sad. Look carefully and you’ll see the little tricycle between the anti-tank blocks.

6) Right in the middle between the walls was a narrow road which was used by motorized guards constantly driving around checking that no-one tried to escape.

7) Along the wall at various points on the West side towers were erected so that people could climb up and look over to the East side.

8) Some views over old Berlin

The interesting thing is that although it was the East side which was closed off from the West, the wall actually surrounded West Berlin as Berlin was smack in the middle of East Germany.

 

[LaFoto]

Thank you for this.
I lived in Berlin in 1980 an 1981, so I remember these views! And I remember the feeling of living in that remote "island" spot of West Germany.
I also remember that we never thought the situation would ever change at the time! No one could imagine the two Germanies would one day be reunified.
And today? My children can't imagine Germany to be divided!
Better this way!

 

[Fred Berg]

Very moving, thanks for sharing.

I came to live in Germany nearly a decade ago and only know the young and vibrant democracy that is now; but my wife, who was 19 when the wall fell, remembers how things were and visited the divided Berlin as a schoolgirl. Our daughter has no concept that the two countries her family comes from were once the bitterest of enemies, and we see her and her cousins in Wales and London as the living proof that things can and do get better.

 

[LazyFrog60]

Thanks for the comments! Definately better now, there was a real "down" feeling in Berlin at that time. My grand-mother who lived in East Berlin died a month before the wall came down!

 

[ilikephotons]

I really like these pictures LazyFrog. Do you happen to have others? I would enjoy seeing them.

 

[FanBoy]

Nice of you to share your personal photo essay. The most moving photo is that of the tricycle among the barriers...

Crazy--almost complete lunacy--to think such a totalitarian regime can contain a peoples' liberty.

 

[mishele]

Wow, thanks for sharing!!

 

[480sparky]

Wonderful captures and a great set altogether!

 

[snowbear]

Thank you for sharing these. Have you considered trying to photo the same areas again, now that the wall is gone?

 

[Animaniac888]

Wow, powerful photographs. I especially like the one that says "Die mauer muss weg" and the one with the tricycle.

 

[LazyFrog60]

Thank you for sharing these. Have you considered trying to photo the same areas again, now that the wall is gone?

Thanks everybody for your comments! If I ever get back to Berlin I would consider photographing the same areas again, IF I'll be able to figure out where they were. I was on a school-trip at the time and didn't really pay much attention to the "where". I was just very impressed with the feeling of the place. We went over to the East side (via Checkpoint Charlie) for one day - unfortunately we weren't allowed to take any pictures on the East side. I also do not have any more pictures than these as I was only a "poor" student at the time and traveled with one 35 mm film

 

[LaFoto]

It might have become impossible to find those places again, Berlin has changed dramatically after the reunification and in most parts it can no longer be seen that there had once been the wall. Particularly Bernauer St., which was so impressive back then as the walls of former houses formed part of the Berlin Wall, has been taken down (which is a pity, as that street would have made the perfect monument...!).

 

[LazyFrog60]

I did go back in 1991 to visit an aunt but didn't think of re-visiting those old places. Berlin had indeed changed enormously and the "heavy" feeling was gone. It's actually a fantastic place to visit and I would like to go back. HUMONGOUS possibilities for photography freaks!! Just Berlin itself, the buildings, the people, it's history, and then you have the Ku'damm, the botanical gardens, the Tiergarten (zoo)... Truly worth a visit!