Finding traces of the Wall with a smartphone app

Smartphone mit Ansicht der App zum Verlauf der Berliner Mauer

Where exactly was the Berlin Wall? There are only a few traces of the Wall still left; a free smartphone app can help you find them.

Working with the Zentrum für Zeithistorische Forschung, a research institute focused on contemporary history, and the national radio network Deutschlandradio, the Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung (Federal Center for Political Education) marked the 50th anniversary of the construction of the Berlin Wall with a routing program that helps Berliners and tourists alike explore the last remaining traces of the border installations that once surrounded West Berlin.

The heart of the app is three guided tours along remaining fragments of the Wall, memorials, and places where the history of Germany’s division was written. This journey of discovery is aided by an interactive map that leads people unfamiliar with the area to 42 different geocoded sights chosen especially for the app. All of the locations can be reached on foot or by public transportation. Apart from the guided tours, users can plan their own routes or use the “discovery mode” to find out whether there are any historical sites nearby.

The app is available in German and English and can be downloaded free of charge.

More information: Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung