The Eastside Gallery is not only the longest segment of the Berlin Wall that still stands today; it is likely the longest open air gallery in the world. It runs for some 1300+ meters, a bit more than 8 tenths of a mile, along Muehlenstrasse in the Friedrichshain district.

The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 ushered in change, hope for a brighter future in a reunited Germany, and hope for a freedom-filled future for all peoples and nations. Artists from all corners of the globe gathered in Berlin to capture and communicate the joy and excitement spawned by this hope.

Today, many of the murals show their age thanks to 25 years of weathering. Graffiti scrawled by millions of visitors has taken a damaging toll on the gallery as well. Since the early part of this century, restoration work has been on-going. You can find full information about the Eastside Gallery, its history, and efforts to restore and maintain it here.

Below you can see that, despite the existing damage, the original murals along Muehlenstrasse remain evocative. They and the constant flux of new artwork created along the length of the west side of the gallery are well worth a visit.

The forthcoming article about Urban Nation will round out the recent visit Charm City Streets made to Berlin, Germany.

 

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