Are you a first time traveler to Berlin and you are now looking for some things to do? That is why visiting the East Side Gallery in Berlin should become your next travel plan. This place is not only the longest preserved part of the Berlin Wall, but also the silence of freedom, unity and art. Come discover the history of Berlin and explore Berlin’s street art with a walk through this famous symbol of the city.
What was the East Side gallery?
The East Side Gallery is an open-air art exhibition, that is the remaining piece of the Wall from Berlin in Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg area adjacent to the river Spree. Since the dismantling of the Berlin Wall in 1989, artists were able to turn this symbolic territory into this world of art.
This gallery plays host to over one hundred murals made by artists of all sort which focused on messages of peace, freedom and political unrest. They suggest it is not only art but also the history of the wall telling about the problems of the people that lived through it.
Planning your visit
1. Location and How to Get There
The East Side Gallery is found at Mühlenstraße in Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg, get there by train, subway or bus. It is possible to use the U-Bahn (subway) and get off at the Warschauer Straße station and the gallery is a few minutes walk from the river. However, there are buses and trams that will take you to stop Ostbahnhof or Warschauer Straße.
2. Best Time to Visit
We hope you found this information helpful, the gallery can be visited anytime of the day as it is opened 24/7. However it is always advice able to avoid going in large groups and is best if the artwork is viewed during morning or in weekdays. This will let you achieve a deeper and much more relaxing atmosphere.
3. Exploring the Gallery
While walking down the East Side Gallery, just look at the numerous colors used on the paintings and the message behind the pictures. Many of the displayed artworks explain individual stories and present various perspectives on history and experiences related to the division and construction of the Berlin Wall.
Why you should take your camera? That is simple, there are breathtaking views in every corner of the gallery. Take photos of the murals you like most and make known to other people how it was like painting murals.
4. Nearby Attractions
Once you have experienced the pleasures in painting and graffiti of the East Side Gallery visitors can proceed in other tourist interest points in Berlin. Other nearby locales such as Kreuzberg and Friedrichshain are packed full of bars, clubs, fabulous food joints, and all the activities to go with it. However, you can also just take a small stroll to the Oberbaum Bridge – a landmark of Berlin that gives a view at the Spree River.
Understanding the Symbolism
Some depict various topics and all of them portray socio- political conditions of the time in East Side Gallery. Here are a few notable artworks and their meanings:
Mural Artist Meaning
The Fraternal Kiss Dmitry Vrubel Satirical painting of the famous
photo of Leonid Brezhnev and Erich
Honecker, BV and I, kissing while
seeming united.
Test the Rest Thierry Noir The most often depicted icon by
Noir, which stands for rebellion
against compliance and
suppression.
Melting Cars Birgit Kinder Symbolizes the checking on the
new territory of former East
Germany which is in the
car-representing travel/freedom.
Conclusion
Easts Side Gallery is fun for history and art lovers and everyone interested in people and their spirit. It holds a rare chance therefore to get to witness how art can impact a community by changing such a divider to become a unifier.
Hence in your comfortable shoes, with the camera in hand, witness the raw talent of artists on the Berlin East Side Gallery.. It is a show that one does not want to give a miss out on.
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