Much of where The Wall sat is now Berlin’s newest development — business, residential and restaurant. It’s busy, bright and fast.
But on the street at night, between the jugglers, the cyclists, the musicians and the Dianetics crew, a thoughtful crowd collects around several sizeable chunks of the wall.
Each panel has images and posts of different areas of occupation during the war.
The Berlin Wall was officially referred to by the GDR authorities as the “Anti-Fascist Protection Wall.”
According to the books 180 people were shot attempting to cross the wall.
A few steps away from the wall sits St-Matthaus-Kirche — quaint and exotic in the sea of ultramodern buildings around Potsdam Platz.
After an enormously traditional al fresco dinner of pasta aglio e olio one simply must raise an arm in a toast to the tremendously pleasant weather we’ve enjoyed!
The Country Mice 
If I am remembering my family history correctly (you can help me here Lois – what year did the wall go up?) my father was in Berlin at the time of the building of the wall. I remmber that he had tears in his eyes on the day the wall came down. And he wasn’t a crying sort.
Mary
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Went up in 1961 and came down in 1989. I could drink up the history here forever.
I remember being in Israel with my parents in 1982 and seeing the pyramids with my father in 1996 — both times being struck by the magic of watching the history books come alive.
It’s the same again here — but even more powerful because it’s so recent, history-wise. Absolutely stunning.
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