The East Side Gallery is the longest surviving stretch of the Berlin Wall still standing: about 1.3 km along the Spree river in Friedrichshain, between the Oberbaumbrücke and the Ostbahnhof. In the spring and summer of 1990, in the months after the Wall opened but before it was formally torn down, 118 artists from 21 countries painted the wall's eastern face — the side that had faced East Berlin, and that East German citizens had never been allowed to approach. What resulted is one of the most visited open-air galleries in the world, and one of the most direct visual records of what that year actually felt like. See the official East Side Gallery online exhibition, run by the Berlin Wall Foundation, for artist-by-artist detail.
Building the Wall
The division didn't begin with concrete. On the night of 12–13 August 1961, East German soldiers and police strung barbed wire along the sector boundary that split Berlin, closing the border with almost no warning. Families and neighbours who had walked between East and West that same morning found the crossing points shut by the next day. The barbed wire was replaced with concrete blocks within days, and over the following years the barrier grew into a system of two parallel walls with a cleared, guarded corridor between them — the so-called death strip — patrolled from watchtowers and fitted with alarms, trip-wires, and, in places, vehicle trenches. By the late 1980s the border installations around West Berlin ran to roughly 155 km, with several hundred watchtowers along their length.
People still tried to cross. One of the best-documented deaths is that of Peter Fechter, an 18-year-old bricklayer shot while attempting to climb the Wall near Checkpoint Charlie on 17 August 1962, roughly a year after construction began. He was left lying in the death strip for nearly an hour before East German guards finally recovered him; he died shortly after. His death, witnessed by crowds on both sides who could do nothing to reach him, became one of the starkest public illustrations of what the Wall actually was.
How the Wall Fell
The Wall came down, in large part, because of a mistake at a press conference — though that mistake landed on ground that had already been shifting for months. Earlier in 1989, Hungary had begun dismantling its own border fence with Austria, and a symbolic "Pan-European Picnic" at the Hungarian border in August 1989 let hundreds of East German holidaymakers simply walk across into the West. Thousands more East Germans followed over the following weeks, travelling via Hungary or crowding into West German embassies in Prague and Warsaw. By November, the East German leadership was scrambling to draft new, less restrictive travel rules to relieve the pressure.
On the evening of 9 November 1989, East German spokesman Günter Schabowski held a press conference to announce the new regulations. He hadn't been fully briefed on the details — he'd been handed a note shortly before the conference with no real instructions — and when a journalist asked when the rules would take effect, he hesitated, looked at his notes, and said: "As far as I know, it takes effect immediately, without delay" ("Das tritt nach meiner Kenntnis … ist das sofort … unverzüglich"). The announcement was broadcast live. Within hours, thousands of East Berliners gathered at the checkpoints, demanding to be let through. The border guards, with no clear orders and no one willing to take responsibility for using force, eventually opened the gates. People walked from East to West Berlin, and back again, for the first time in 28 years — not because of a treaty or a military collapse, but because a government spokesman didn't know when his own government's announcement was supposed to start.
The Gallery: Painted in the Gap Between Two Countries
The East Side Gallery exists because of a narrow historical window. The Wall opened in November 1989, but East Germany didn't formally cease to exist until reunification on 3 October 1990. In that gap, a stretch of the Wall along the Spree — on the "hinterland" side that had faced East Berlin — became available as a surface, and a group of international artists organised to paint it. Their work went up between February and September 1990 and was formally inaugurated on 28 September 1990, five days before reunification.
105 of the original paintings survive today (a number were lost to weathering, vandalism, or later removal). Most of what visitors see now dates from a 2009 restoration, when many of the original artists repainted their own work after the originals had deteriorated badly — a restoration that was itself contested, since some artists objected to having their work reproduced by others when they weren't available to repaint it themselves. The Berlin Wall Foundation, the public body responsible for the Gallery and the Wall Memorial on Bernauer Straße, documents the restoration history and the ongoing preservation debate in detail.
The Two Most Famous Murals — and a Third Worth Knowing
"My God, Help Me to Survive This Deadly Love" — known simply as the Brotherly Kiss — is Dmitri Vrubel's painting of Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev and East German leader Erich Honecker locked in the ritual socialist fraternal kiss. It's based on a real 1979 photograph of the two leaders taken during East Germany's 30th anniversary celebrations. Vrubel added the German caption underneath, turning a stiff diplomatic photo-op into something closer to a joke about a genuinely toxic relationship. Vrubel repainted the mural himself in 2009 after the original had badly deteriorated. He went on to live in Berlin until his death in 2022; the official Dmitri Vrubel estate site covers his full body of work, including the Brotherly Kiss's history and later editions.
Vrubel actually painted a second, less famous mural on the East Side Gallery the same year: a monochrome fresco titled "Danke, Andrej Sacharow" ("Thank You, Andrei Sakharov"), showing the death mask of the Soviet physicist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Andrei Sakharov, a leading dissident voice against the same system the Wall represented.
"Test the Rest," by Birgit Kinder, shows a Trabant — the small, underpowered car that was practically the East German family car, famous for its years-long waiting list — breaking straight through the Wall, its licence plate reading "NOV 9 89." It's a plain, almost cartoonish image, but it lands because the Trabant really was what thousands of East Germans were driving when the checkpoints opened that night.
Other Artists Worth Knowing
Thierry Noir, a French artist, had already been painting the Wall's western face since 1984 — years before it fell — and contributed his simplified, brightly coloured cartoon heads to the East Side Gallery, now among its most recognisable non-political images. Kani Alavi's "Es geschah im November" ("It Happened in November") shows a crowd of faces pressing through the Wall, painted from his own memory of being at the checkpoints the night they opened. Bodo Sperling, one of the Gallery's founding organisers, contributed his own "Rekonstruktion der Realität," a trompe-l'oeil crowd pressing through a gap toward the light on the other side.
Not Everyone Wanted Reunification
It's easy to assume the fall of the Wall was universally welcomed the moment it happened, but the political reaction outside Germany was more complicated. British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher privately urged Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev to slow down German reunification, reportedly telling him directly that a united Germany would destabilise the post-war order. French President François Mitterrand voiced similar unease, warning that a unified Germany could eventually gain more influence in Europe than it had ever held before. Neither position stopped reunification, which went ahead on 3 October 1990, but it's a useful corrective to the idea that the Wall's fall was a moment of simple, uncomplicated celebration everywhere.
A Monument That's Been Fought Over Twice
The East Side Gallery was given protected heritage status in 1991, just a year after it was painted. That hasn't stopped repeated conflict over its survival. A section was moved in 2006 to allow better access to the river. In 2013, a Berlin property developer began demolishing a stretch of the Wall to build access for a riverside apartment complex, without informing the artists whose work would be destroyed. The removal triggered international protest and public pressure, and the demolition was eventually halted, though not before part of the wall had already come down. The episode captured something real about the Gallery's position in the city: it's simultaneously a protected monument, a major tourist draw, and a physical obstacle sitting on some of Berlin's most valuable riverside land.
Visiting Today
The East Side Gallery is a free, open-air public space along Mühlenstraße in Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg, easiest reached via the Warschauer Straße S-Bahn and U-Bahn station or the Ostbahnhof. Current visitor information, opening details for the adjoining exhibition, and background on all 105 surviving murals are maintained by the official Berlin tourism board, visitBerlin.
Why This Belongs in a Guide About Decks, Not Just a Sidebar
There's no East Side Gallery deck in the deckarts catalogue right now — this is simply a guide to the real history, written honestly because the story is worth knowing on its own terms, whether or not there's a product attached to it. If that changes, this page will be the place to come back to.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the East Side Gallery?
A roughly 1.3 km stretch of the Berlin Wall along the Spree in Friedrichshain, painted by 118 artists from 21 countries in 1990, on the side of the Wall that had faced East Berlin. It's one of the most visited open-air galleries in the world and has held protected monument status since 1991.
How did the Berlin Wall actually go up?
Almost overnight: East German soldiers strung barbed wire along the sector border on the night of 12–13 August 1961, catching Berliners by surprise. The barbed wire was quickly replaced by concrete, and over the following years the border grew into a heavily guarded system with watchtowers and a death strip running roughly 155 km around West Berlin.
Why did the Berlin Wall fall on 9 November 1989?
Largely because of a mistake: spokesman Günter Schabowski announced new, looser travel rules at a press conference without being clear on when they were meant to take effect, said they applied "immediately," and the announcement was broadcast live. Thousands of East Berliners gathered at the checkpoints that night, and the guards eventually opened them without formal orders to do so.
Who painted the Brotherly Kiss mural, and did he paint anything else on the Wall?
Dmitri Vrubel, based on a real 1979 photograph of Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev and East German leader Erich Honecker exchanging the ceremonial socialist fraternal kiss. Vrubel added the caption "My God, Help Me to Survive This Deadly Love" and repainted the mural himself during the 2009 restoration. He also painted a second, monochrome fresco on the East Side Gallery the same year, "Danke, Andrej Sacharow," honouring the Soviet dissident physicist Andrei Sakharov. Vrubel lived in Berlin until his death in 2022; his estate maintains an official site covering his wider body of work.
Is the Wall in the East Side Gallery the actual historical Wall?
Yes, it's a real surviving segment of the physical Berlin Wall, not a replica structure — though most of the paintings on it today date from the 2009 restoration rather than being the untouched originals from 1990.
Has the East Side Gallery ever been at risk of demolition?
Yes. In 2013, a property developer began removing a section of the Wall to build access to a riverside development, without notifying the artists involved. Public protest and international attention halted the demolition, though part of the Wall had already been taken down by that point.
Where can I find more detailed, official information?
The Berlin Wall Foundation is the public body responsible for the Gallery and related memorial sites; its East Side Gallery online exhibition covers every surviving mural and artist. Current visitor and access information is maintained by visitBerlin. Dmitri Vrubel's own work, including the Brotherly Kiss, is documented on the official Vrubel estate site.
Article summary
- The Berlin Wall went up almost overnight in August 1961 and grew into a ~155 km guarded system; Peter Fechter's death at the Wall in 1962 is one of its best-documented tragedies.
- The East Side Gallery is a real, ~1.3 km surviving stretch of the Wall in Friedrichshain, painted by 118 artists from 21 countries in 1990.
- The Wall fell on 9 November 1989 largely due to a miscommunication at a press conference by spokesman Günter Schabowski, against a backdrop of months of East German emigration via Hungary.
- Its two most famous murals — the Brotherly Kiss (Dmitri Vrubel) and Test the Rest (Birgit Kinder) — are both based on real events and objects, not invented imagery; Vrubel also painted a lesser-known second mural honouring Andrei Sakharov.
- Reunification wasn't universally welcomed at the time — both Margaret Thatcher and François Mitterrand privately expressed real concern about a unified Germany.
- The Gallery has protected monument status since 1991 but has still faced real threats, including a 2013 demolition attempt for property development.
- There's currently no East Side Gallery deck in the catalogue — this is a straightforward history guide, not a product page.
Auf Deutsch
Die East Side Gallery: Brüderkuss, Trabi durch die Mauer und die Nacht, in der die Mauer sich öffnete
Die East Side Gallery ist das längste noch erhaltene Stück der Berliner Mauer: etwa 1,3 km entlang der Spree in Friedrichshain, zwischen der Oberbaumbrücke und dem Ostbahnhof. Im Frühjahr und Sommer 1990, in den Monaten nach der Öffnung der Mauer, aber vor ihrem endgültigen Abriss, bemalten 118 Künstler aus 21 Ländern die Ostseite der Mauer — jene Seite, die zu Ost-Berlin gezeigt hatte und der sich DDR-Bürger nie nähern durften.
Der Bau der Mauer
In der Nacht vom 12. auf den 13. August 1961 zogen DDR-Soldaten und Polizei Stacheldraht entlang der Sektorengrenze, die Berlin teilte, und schlossen die Grenze fast ohne Vorwarnung. Der Stacheldraht wurde innerhalb weniger Tage durch Betonelemente ersetzt, und in den folgenden Jahren wuchs die Grenzanlage zu einem System aus zwei parallelen Mauern mit einem geräumten, bewachten Streifen dazwischen — dem sogenannten Todesstreifen. Bis in die 1980er Jahre erstreckten sich die Grenzanlagen um West-Berlin auf etwa 155 km, mit mehreren hundert Wachtürmen entlang der Strecke.
Menschen versuchten dennoch, die Grenze zu überqueren. Einer der am besten dokumentierten Todesfälle ist der von Peter Fechter, einem 18-jährigen Maurer, der am 17. August 1962 — knapp ein Jahr nach Baubeginn — beim Versuch, die Mauer nahe dem Checkpoint Charlie zu überklettern, erschossen wurde. Er lag fast eine Stunde lang verletzt im Todesstreifen, bevor DDR-Grenzsoldaten ihn schließlich bargen; er starb kurz darauf.
Wie die Mauer fiel
Die Mauer fiel größtenteils wegen eines Fehlers bei einer Pressekonferenz — doch dieser Fehler traf auf einen Boden, der sich bereits seit Monaten verschob. Früher im Jahr 1989 hatte Ungarn begonnen, seinen eigenen Grenzzaun zu Österreich abzubauen, und ein symbolisches "Paneuropäisches Picknick" an der ungarischen Grenze im August 1989 ließ Hunderte DDR-Urlauber einfach in den Westen hinübergehen.
Am Abend des 9. November 1989 hielt der DDR-Sprecher Günter Schabowski eine Pressekonferenz ab, um die neuen Reiseregelungen anzukündigen. Er war nicht vollständig informiert worden, und als ein Journalist fragte, wann die Regelungen in Kraft treten würden, zögerte er und sagte: "Das tritt nach meiner Kenntnis … ist das sofort … unverzüglich." Die Ankündigung wurde live übertragen. Innerhalb weniger Stunden versammelten sich Tausende Ost-Berliner an den Grenzübergangen, und die Grenzsoldaten öffneten schließlich die Schlagbäume — ohne klare Befehle.
Die Galerie: Gemalt in der Lücke zwischen zwei Ländern
Die East Side Gallery existiert wegen eines schmalen historischen Zeitfensters. Die Mauer öffnete sich im November 1989, doch die DDR hörte erst mit der Wiedervereinigung am 3. Oktober 1990 formal auf zu existieren. In dieser Lücke wurde ein Mauerabschnitt entlang der Spree als Fläche verfügbar, und eine Gruppe internationaler Künstler organisierte sich, um sie zu bemalen. Ihre Arbeiten entstanden zwischen Februar und September 1990.
105 der ursprünglichen Gemälde sind heute erhalten, größtenteils aus einer Restaurierung von 2009.
Die berühmtesten Wandbilder
"Mein Gott, hilf mir, diese tödliche Liebe zu überleben" — der Brüderkuss — ist Dmitri Vrubels Gemälde des sowjetischen Führers Leonid Breschnew und des DDR-Staatschefs Erich Honecker im rituellen sozialistischen Brüderkuss, basierend auf einem echten Foto von 1979. Vrubel malte 1990 zudem ein zweites, monochromes Wandbild auf der East Side Gallery: "Danke, Andrej Sacharow," zu Ehren des sowjetischen Physikers und Dissidenten Andrei Sacharow. Vrubel lebte bis zu seinem Tod 2022 in Berlin; sein Nachlass wird auf der offiziellen Vrubel-Website dokumentiert.
"Test the Rest" von Birgit Kinder zeigt einen Trabant, der direkt durch die Mauer bricht, mit dem Kennzeichen "NOV 9 89."
Nicht alle wollten die Wiedervereinigung
Die britische Premierministerin Margaret Thatcher drängte den sowjetischen Führer Michail Gorbatschow privat, die deutsche Wiedervereinigung zu verlangsamen. Der französische Präsident François Mitterrand äußerte ähnliche Bedenken. Keine der beiden Positionen verhinderte die Wiedervereinigung am 3. Oktober 1990.
Ein Denkmal, um das zweimal gekämpft wurde
Die East Side Gallery erhielt 1991 Denkmalschutz. 2013 begann ein Berliner Immobilienentwickler, einen Mauerabschnitt für eine Zufahrt zu einem Wohnkomplex abzureißen, ohne die Künstler zu informieren. Internationale Proteste führten schließlich zum Stopp des Abrisses.
Zusammenfassung
- Die Berliner Mauer entstand fast über Nacht im August 1961; Peter Fechters Tod an der Mauer 1962 ist eine ihrer am besten dokumentierten Tragödien.
- Die East Side Gallery ist ein echtes, etwa 1,3 km langes erhaltenes Mauerstück, bemalt von 118 Künstlern aus 21 Ländern im Jahr 1990.
- Die Mauer fiel am 9. November 1989 größtenteils aufgrund eines Missverständnisses bei einer Pressekonferenz.
- Dmitri Vrubel malte neben dem Brüderkuss auch ein zweites Wandbild zu Ehren von Andrei Sacharow.
About the Author
Stanislav Arnautov is the founder of deckarts, a graphic designer and print specialist originally from Ukraine, now based in Berlin, where he personally designs and prepares every deck. Follow on Instagram or visit stasarnautov.com.
0 comments