"Memories of August 13, 1961" at the Brandenburg Gate

Conversation with Annette von Broecker & Jörg Hildebrandt, Monika Waack

What did the construction of the Wall mean for those who experienced it firsthand? How did they perceive August 13, 1961? And what specific consequences did the Berlin Wall have for them? At the Brandenburg Gate, eyewitnesses share insights into their personal memories—from the first days of the Wall’s construction to the opening of the border in November 1989. Their accounts offer diverse perspectives on the division of Germany: from a child’s perspective and journalistic observations to experiences of repression in the GDR and stories of escape. These memories make it clear that while the Berlin Wall served a clear political function, it held different meanings for people and shaped their lives in many ways. This discussion focuses on the eyewitnesses’ memories of August 13, 1961, as well as the period immediately before and after.

Jörg Hildebrandt, born in 1939, lived with his family in East Berlin near the sector border on Bernauer Straße, where his father was the pastor of the Versöhnungsgemeinde. After graduating from high school, Jörg Hildebrandt studied at the Free University of Berlin—until this became impossible due to the construction of the Berlin Wall on August 13, 1961. In October, his family was forced to leave their apartment in the border area on Bernauer Strasse.

Monika Waack, born in 1949, grew up in East Germany near the city border with West Berlin. Her father crossed the border daily on his way to work, and Monika Waack also attended school in West Berlin. In the early 1950s, her father was pressured to find a job in the GDR. In 1953, Monika had to transfer to a school in Mahlow (GDR). The political changes ultimately led the family to flee the GDR in 1956. The family witnessed the construction of the Berlin Wall while in West Berlin.

Annette von Broecker was working for the Reuters news agency in West Berlin at the time the Wall was built.

This event is part of the special program marking the 65th anniversary of the construction of the Berlin Wall.
Funded by the Federal Commissioner for Culture and the Media and the LOTTO Foundation Berlin

More information: mauerbau65.berlinTranslated with DeepL

Meeting point: Platz des 18. März at the Brandenburg Gate, 10117 Berlin

Next date:

• Date Thursday, 13/August/2026 19:30 bis 20:30
• Venue Podest am Brandenburger Tor
• Address Platz des 18. März am Brandenburger Tor, 10117 Berlin