The East Side Gallery is an open-air art gallery painted on a 1.3 kilometer remaining piece of the Berlin Wall. Over 100 works were painted along the wall in 1990. Sadly, many of those were damaged due to graffiti or fading and several attempts at restoration were made. Though it was a struggle, in 2009, the entire gallery was restored to prepare for the 20th anniversary. Previous attempts at restoration were fought by some of the artists over copyright issues; some did not want their works restored. It is interesting to search for some older photographs of the wall and to see what poor condition it was in at one time (for example).
Walking along the wall is obviously a free activity in Berlin and one I highly recommend. There is such a range of works and it’s interesting to see how each artist approached this very point in history: some were hopeful and looked toward a peaceful future while others pointed out the atrocities. It was a good mix of looking to the future while not forgetting the past. I visited the wall just before my trip to Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp. These two visits combined made for a very long day.
I think he looks like Elvis
I love these guys.
Another one of my favorites with its ghostly quality.
Have you been to the East Side Gallery? And did you go before the restoration?
I loved this photo essay, loved it!
What an awesone and interesting photo essay! I visited Berlin only once, many years ago. The wall had already been destroyed but Germany was still divided.
I definitely have to go back. And to see this! Thanks for letting me discover such a great historical and artistic site.
I love your photos! I want to see the East Side Gallery so much, ever since I learned more about the Berlin Wall and all the artwork. I can’t wait to get to Berlin one day!
I have to admit that I have never been to the East Side Gallery, although I want to go there badly! There are some amazing paintings and I think it’s a great way to maintain an important piece of German history. It’s on my to-do-list for my next visit to Berlin.
superb pics! We also loved Berlin’s Tacheles too – inspiring stuff
This is one of the best blog posts I’ve seen on the East Side Gallery. I hope you don’t mind me using one of the photographs in my blog – credited to you of course :)