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On August 13, 1961, construction of the Berlin Wall began, and armed units from the GDR also sealed off the Brandenburg Gate. (Archive photo)
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At the Berlin Wall Memorial on Bernauer Straße, remnants of the Wall and the death strip can still be seen. (File photo)
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The Berlin Wall divided the city into two parts and encircled the western part of Berlin for 155 kilometers. (File photo)
From August 13 to 16, Berlin will commemorate the construction of the Berlin Wall 65 years ago with memorial events, museum activities, exhibitions and an art installation at the Brandenburg Gate.
A large-scale installation - 30 meters long and nearly three meters high - in front of the city’s landmark in the city center is expected to be a particular eye-catcher. According to the organizers, its design is reminiscent of the Berlin Wall, but it is not a replica.
Depending on the viewer's perspective, the artwork is intended to appear either transparent or impenetrable due to the use of a special material. The state-owned Berliner Kulturprojekte GmbH aims in this way to highlight the monstrosity of the former border wall, while also serving as a reminder that it ultimately failed to permanently divide the city. At the same time, visitors can view an open-air exhibition of historical photographs at the Brandenburg Gate. The exhibition "Mauerblicke. Berlin 1961–1990" documents everyday life in the divided city. According to the organizers, the installation and exhibition are intended not only to commemorate the decades-long division of Germany but also to provide a space for engaging with contemporary forms of walls and borders.
Numerous politicians and other public figures are expected to attend the main commemorative event at the Gedenkstätte Berliner Mauer on Bernauer Straße on August 13. Among them are Bundestag President Julia Klöckner, Governing Mayor Kai Wegner (CDU) and Minister of State for Culture Wolfram Weimer (CDU). At the event in the Chapel of Reconciliation, excerpts from the biographies of those who lost their lives at the Wall will be read. Brandenburg's main commemorative event marking the construction of the Wall, featuring State Parliament President Ulrike Liedtke, will take place at Skypoint Großziethen on the southern edge of the city. This site was once a landfill located in the immediate vicinity of the Wall. Today, visitors can enjoy a sweeping panoramic view.
In Berlin, Kulturprojekte GmbH also aims to commemorate former border and "ghost" train stations that were created as a result of the city’s division. Along the S-Bahn’s north-south line, for example, there were a number of stations where trains traveling between West Berlin neighborhoods passed underground through East Berlin territory. For example, they did not stop at stations such as Brandenburger Tor or Nordbahnhof, where East German border guards stood watch on the platforms. The S-Bahn trains did stop at Friedrichstraße station, where the GDR had set up a border crossing. Large-scale displays or small exhibitions highlighting this aspect of the division are now planned at several stations.
Throughout the city, there are additional events taking place to mark the 65th anniversary of the construction of the Berlin Wall. These include guided tours, film screenings, readings, discussions and workshops. On August 13, the German Historical Museum is offering free admission to the neighboring Pei Building. Among other things, guests can expect a free guided tour program. Registration is available on-site. On August 13 at 6 p.m., the Catholic Church will hold a Mass at St. Hedwig’s Cathedral in Mitte to commemorate the victims of the division and those who lost their lives while attempting to flee. The former Diocese of Berlin, now the Archdiocese, was also divided by the construction of the Berlin Wall. However, despite differing structures in the East and West and in the face of considerable resistance, it remained a unified church.
"No one has any intention of erecting a wall," said Walter Ulbricht, head of the SED and Chairman of the State Council of the GDR, as recently as June 15, 1961. Yet two months later, construction of the Berlin Wall began, sealing the division between East and West Germany. The SED leadership sought to halt the mass exodus of people to West Berlin and the Federal Republic of Germany, which was hampering the GDR's economy and destabilizing the state. The approximately 155-kilometer-long barrier cut Berlin in two for more than 28 years, separating many families and isolating the western part of the city from its surrounding areas. According to the Berlin Wall Foundation, at least 140 people were killed at the Wall or died in connection with the GDR’s border regime during this period. In addition, at least 251 travelers died during or after inspections at Berlin border crossings.