Rarely Seen Historical Images That Chronicle The Emotional Fall Of The Berlin Wall
After the end of World War II, the division of Germany by Allied forces would eventually be physically marked by the Berlin Wall, a massive fortification that split the German city in half. Not only did family members suddenly find communication risky and travel between the halves potentially lethal but they would have to deal with this separation for 28 years.
However, by late 1989, the Soviet Union that controlled East Germany was on the verge of collapse and thus, open to reforms its leadership never would have considered in decades past. And on November 9 of that year, the first and biggest step towards the German unification that would officially take place in 1990 occurred and the wall came down once and for all. The event prompted a massive, cathartic celebration in Berlin and it was all caught on camera.
A Jarring Day For Those Who Weren’t Waiting For It
While the background of this photo showed how widely celebrated the fall of the Berlin Wall was, this photo of East German soldiers reveals that it was also a day of great anxiety for some. After all, these men had spent years guarding the wall — and told to use lethal force to do so if necessary — only to discover that those around them could one day freely tear the wall apart.
While many East German soldiers were happy to see friends, relatives, and family members reunited, these men clearly worried about what this sudden change would mean for the Soviet Union they were pledged to protect. Indeed, it would officially collapse in 1991.
At Long Last, An Outpouring Of East German Citizens
Although the Berlin Wall officially fell on November 9 of 1989, it took longer than that to physically tear the structure down. As such, people from East Germany can still be seen excitedly scaling the Brandenburg Gate as late as December 22 while their friends keep chipping away at the wall around them.
Their zeal is easy to understand, as it’s likely that most if not all of them know someone who died trying to make this trek in years past. According to the August 13 Association, 255 East Berliners and 683 other East Germans had previously been fatally shot trying to escape to West Germany.
The Best New Year’s Celebration In Decades
This scene from the top of the Brandenberg Gate shows a fiery, exciting New Year’s celebration with flares and fireworks launching from a Berlin Wall remnant near the top of the structure. The visual is striking but it’s also a sign of how uniquely happy that new year was for Berliners.
Not only would they be able to reunite with the people they were forced to leave behind for the first time in decades but their celebrations came as Germany started to feel whole for the first time since world War II ended. If that’s not worth celebrating, nothing is.
The Destruction Was Part Of The Fun
Parts of the Berlin Wall are preserved in museums today, but the structure was large enough that average citizens had more than enough to room to go hog wild on it once Berlin was reunified. Indeed, since Berliners spent decades dreading the wall’s sight, so many citizens were more than happy to take part in its destruction.
That’s why in the latter months of 1989, it wasn’t unusual to see people like this teenager happily chipping away at the wall with sledgehammers, rock hammers, and chisels on any given day.
Up Close On New Year’s Eve
Even history’s most exciting days can feature calm, almost mundane moments and the explosive New Year’s celebration that followed the fall of the Berlin Wall was no exception. Although Berliners were excited enough to climb the Brandenberg Gate, there were some breaks in the revelry once they got up there.
As some fought the wind to light their smokes and others took photos from the incredible view, others simply milled about waiting for the next phase of the party to start. It’s in moments like these that the enormity of the change really sinks in.
The Palpable Relief Of Renewed Togetherness
This image captures a simple moment between an East German police officer and the woman he’s helping onto the top of a Berlin Wall remnant during the city’s New Year’s celebration to close out 1989. However, it’s also one of the most striking representations of the moment that anyone could depict.
After all, it was only months prior that these two could have been terse adversaries, as it would have been that officer’s job to keep her away from the wall at all costs. With such a monumental change in the air, however, he’s now happily helping her across it.
Heavy-Duty Demolition Efforts Were Underway
Although the Berlin Wall inspired enough dread in the 28 years it stood that Berlin’s citizens probably could have taken it apart themselves if they were given enough time, that wasn’t considered a terribly efficient way to do things. Indeed, the ability to get people freely moving between East Berlin and West Berlin meant a lot more than the symbolic gesture of tearing it apart inch by inch.
As such, destruction projects like this saw entire slabs of concrete torn away by border authorities to ensure crossings weren’t impeded. Once enough of the wall was taken away to fulfill this purpose, the rest was left to the people’s cathartic picking and chipping. The now-preserved sections of the wall were removed this way.
That Sign No Longer Applies
When an oppressive concrete wall stands for long enough, everyone around it can be sure that it won’t be long before it’s absolutely covered in graffiti. However, it seems that not everything that was spray-painted onto the Berlin Wall was intended to be rebellious.
Indeed, somewhere along the line, it seems that a giant “no pickaxe” sign was painted onto this wall. Understandably, that sign was one of the first targets for people’s pickaxes once it was clear that Berliners could tear the wall apart to their heart’s content.
A View That Had To Be Punched Through The Wall
As the Berlin Wall was gradually torn down by authorities and citizens alike, the incomplete destruction presented the opportunity for unique images with haunting, impressive visuals. For instance, it would hard for a photographer looking through the wall’s holes to think of a better shot than this.
Here we see two East German soldiers standing idly by — one clearly visible, the other shrouded by metal mesh — as more holes form around the hopeful peace signs and other graffiti in the wall they were once assigned to protect.
Hard, Serious Work Before The Fun Begins
Whether they started in East Germany or West Germany, so many Berliners derived a great deal of joy and catharsis from hacking at the wall with their various implements. However, it’s clear that the East German troops who first started ripping holes in it were much more stern and serious about it.
That clear from the severe expressions on these men but it’s also evident in the fact that one has to hold another up as he almost falls with the section of wall he dislodged. Someone has to get the destruction started and they had some fairly dangerous work ahead of them.
A Solemn Memorial To Those Who Had Fallen
Although the enthusiasm Berliners had for tearing down the Berlin Wall didn’t require much explanation, this memorial serves as a perfect answer as to why the wall was so hated. As mentioned before, 938 people lost their lives trying to cross the border between West Germany and East Germany by the time this historic moment occurred.
While it’s unlikely that this row of crosses was able to account for all of them, its makers appeared to try their best to recognize those who attempted that fatal crossing from East Berlin. And when their identities weren’t known, they were logged as “Unbekannt” (German for “unknown”) and by their death date.
Some Berliners Were More Playful Than Others
Although Berliners on both sides saw the wall as an instrument of oppression, it’s also hard to deny that it made a great canvas for them. No matter what era we find them in, some folks can’t help but find humorous ways to express their dissent, no matter how serious their motivations may be.
That’s why the East Berlin side of the wall featured a whimsical yet defiant portrait of Mickey Mouse (a figure of capitalism that the East German government wouldn’t have appreciated). Of course, the “Charlie’s retired” was more joyful than bitterly sarcastic once that logged date in November rolled around.
Who’s Charlie Anyway?
For those who are unaware, Checkpoint Charlie was famous for being the only U.S. military checkpoint that someone could legally travel through to get from West Germany to East Germany when the Berlin Wall was up. However, this privilege was typically reserved for diplomats and similar personnel.
Thus, when someone on the East German side spray-painted “Charlie’s retired,” it meant that the border between the nation’s halves no longer mattered. The U.S. military’s famous “Checkpoint Charlie” checkpoint could now be nothing more than a historical tourist attraction.
Welcomed With Open Arms
Throughout the Cold War, there were far more people trying to defect from East Germany to West Germany than vice-versa, so it was officially clear that the Berlin Wall was about to fall when East Germans learned they could now travel without restriction through the western portion.
Naturally, their West German counterparts were as excited to see them as they were to be there. Hence, this man was one of many to receive celebratory welcomes from waiting West Germans like this impromptu champagne toast. No wonder that New Year’s party was so wild.
This Is Why David Hasselhoff Is So Popular In Germany
It’s well-known that David Hasselhoff enjoys a lot of popularity in Germany but while he’s primarily recognized as an actor in the United States, he’s far more popular as a singer over there. Those puzzled as to why that is need only turn their eyes to that massive New Year’s celebration after the Berlin Wall fell.
As we can see in this photo, Hasselhoff was there, singing a song called “Looking For Freedom” from a hoisting crane near Brandenburg Gate. Clearly, it was a moment that so many people throughout Germany never forgot.
The Friendliest Conversation They’ve Ever Had
Considering this East German police officer’s apparent age, it’s entirely possible that there was no time in his life up to that point where the Berlin Wall wasn’t erected. Until this moment, there would be no way he’d be allowed to talk to these women on the other side of the wall other than to tell them to get away from it.
However, it’s an adjustment he seemed to be making well. Based on the adorable expression on his face as he shyly conversed with them through this hole in the wall, it seems he had already struck up some rapport.
Those Berliners Definitely Had A Sense Of Humor
Since the people who lived near the Berlin Wall had added layers of clever and fascinating graffiti to it over the years, the images it bore presented some fun photo opportunities when it was time to tear the whole thing down.
For instance, this eye that someone spray-painted on the wall was likely once a warning that anyone who approached it was being watched. However, that meaning suddenly changed when a clever citizen chose it as the perfect place to drive a pickaxe through. Then, just like the eye is a window to the soul, it became a window to a restored nation.
Citizens Started Hacking At The Wall Immediately
As it turned out, the Berlin Wall fell quicker than anyone expected, as the East German government initially promised to start providing exit visa to East Germans who wanted to go west on November 9, 1989. This was interpreted as an opening of the border entirely, which meant border guards were overwhelmed by the flow of people heading for Brandenburg Gate.
At the same time, citizens like this young man on the West German side were already grabbing their pickaxes at smashing holes into the wall. Whether the East German government wanted to correct this misconception or not, it was clear they no longer had the power to do so.
It Was A Global Media Event
Although the fall of the Berlin Wall was obviously a life-changing event in Germany, it was incredibly big news throughout the rest of the world as well. After all, it marked a significant enough shift in geopolitics during the Cold War that it was a clear sign of an even larger change to follow.
For those throughout the free world, it was a sign that the Soviet Union was in a far less powerful position than expected and that Communism would no longer present a serious threat to the world. For those in Communist countries, it was a concerning sign that they were about to lose their most powerful ally.
So Happy That Even A Public Toilet Is Party Central
It’s hard to imagine a more beloved New Year’s Eye celebration in Germany than the first one the whole nation got to celebrate together since World War II ended and that was abundantly clear from everything people were climbing on near Brandenburg Gate.
For instance, the reason why this woman is holding a sign that says “Damen” (the German word for “women”) is that the revelers around her are all sitting and partying on top of a public restroom. Presumably, it was the one intended for women.
