The East Side Gallery

The Berlin Wall: a symbol of freedom and a disputed monument

In summer 1990, 118 artists from 21 countries created artworks on the Berlin Wall in Berlin-Friedrichshain. The open-air gallery became known across the world as a symbol of the end of the Cold War. Nevertheless, the question of whether to preserve it remained controversial for many years. It was not until 2000, when building permits had long since been
issued for the surrounding land, that Berlin started to actively protect the historical remnants of the divided city. The book on the exhibition traces the monument's development and recalls the different uses of the site; the various people who claimed it and who were ousted from it. Lastly, the authors look ahead to the East Side Gallery's future as a place for meeting, discussing, and exploring issues concerning the Wall, art, and the city.

Autorentext
Juliane Haubold-Stolle was born in 1975 and studied history and political science in Göttingen, Torun, and Geneva. She holds a doctorial degree in History and was a research volunteer at the German Historical Museum. She works as an exhibition curator in the public presentation and mediation of history, most recently in 2020's Ausgeschlossen.Archaeology of the Nazi Forced Camps" and was the curator of the permanent open-air exhibition at the East Side Gallery under Stiftung Berliner Mauer, 2020 2022.

Klappentext

In summer 1990, 118 artists from 21 countries designed the Berlin Wall in Berlin-Friedrichshain with their art. The open-air gallery has become world-famous as a symbol of the end of the Cold War and as a historical reminder of the inhumane border regime. The preservation of the monument was controversial for a long time: it was only in the 2000s that Berlin began to preserve the historical traces of the once divided city. By then, building permits had long since been granted for the Spree properties, while the artworks fell into disrepair. In five essays, the exhibition catalogue of the Berlin Wall Foundation describes the transformation of the monument and its surroundings and explaines the uses, appropriations and displacements.