Berlin East Side Gallery (The Wall)

Berlin's East Side Gallery
August 5

So what do you do with something like 90 miles of concrete wall when you don't need it anymore. A lot of it was chipped up and is still being sold to tourists. Lots became graffiti canvas. One stretch near Checkpoint Charlie is now behind wire to preserve it the way it was in 1987 with random graffiti and only half the thickness it once was (see the Topography of Terror section of the Berlin page).

One other stretch about a kilometer long was given to artists right away and they produced some poignant, some silly, some just strange paintings. Like all the other sections left standing, this stretch became overrun with random graffiti and concrete chips with bright paint are on sale in gift shops all over town.

In 2000, though, half of this stretch was restored by most of the original artists and is called the East Side Gallery. It's not protected except by a small plaque and is starting to deteriorate again but it's maybe worth seeing what's there. It runs southwest from the Ostbahnhof (East Train Station) along the East German side of the Spree River that runs right through downtown Berlin.

Bob walked this section, camera in hand, and took pictures of every recognizable work. Had to back out onto the busy street often to get the entire picture in one frame - risked his life for these pictures. Here they are, from right to left, down the street.

This one is possibly the most famous.

About half-way down, there's a break in the wall and the Oststrand Bar + Cafe is on the other side, near the river.

This sign is actually at the end near the Ostbahnhof pointing down the street.

Through the break, you see the back of the cafe (below) - rather a grim sight. The front of the cafe is not much better but it's probably a happening place at night. The area is covered in beach sand and there's plenty of seating.

The morning Bob was there it was open and a sign said "Coffee only" (in English).