East Side Gallery

About the museum

The section of wall on Mühlenstraße was part of the so-called hinterland wall, which separated Friedrichshain in East Berlin from the banks of the Spree and thus from West Berlin. Buildings along the riverbank were torn down here to expand the border strip; at least 13 people lost their lives in the section between Oberbaumbrücke and Ostbahnhof.

After the fall of the Wall, artists David Monty and Heike Stephan came up with the idea of turning it into a giant gallery. With the approval of the East German authorities, a total of 118 artists from 21 countries painted the eastern side of the concrete wall in the spring and summer of 1990; the East Side Gallery opened on September 28, 1990. Their paintings speak of joy at the end of division, but also of the worries of that time of upheaval. As early as November 1991, the ensemble was added to Berlin's list of protected monuments.

Weather and graffiti took a heavy toll on the paintings. During an extensive restoration in 2008/2009, the concrete was repaired and most of the artists repainted their works – some faithfully, others with changes. New construction along the Spree created gaps in the wall and sparked major protests in 2013.

Since 2018, the Stiftung Berliner Mauer (Berlin Wall Foundation) has been responsible for its upkeep and educational programs. In January 2025, it opened a visitor information center in the restored former gatehouse of the border installation; to mark the 35th anniversary, an initiative was launched for the long-term restoration of the wall paintings.

Highlights

• The world's longest open-air gallery, on about 1.3 kilometers of original wall
• “Bruderkuss” (Fraternal Kiss) by Dmitri Vrubel, showing Brezhnev and Honecker
• “Test the Rest” by Birgit Kinder, with a Trabant breaking through the wall
• “Hands” by Margaret Hunter and Peter Russell – the only 1990 original never painted over
• Open-air exhibition and visitor information center in the former gatehouse

Permanent exhibitions

• Grenzen, Kunst und Stadt: Die Geschichten der East Side Gallery – Open-air exhibition on the grounds in which artists and local residents shed light on the background of the paintings, life in the divided city, and how the monument is treated today.

Founded

1990

Operated by

Stiftung Berliner Mauer

Director

Anna von Arnim-Rosenthal

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Visiting the East Side Gallery is free; only guided tours and educational programs of the Stiftung Berliner Mauer are subject to a charge.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials
• Audio description: no information

The path along Mühlenstraße is wheelchair-accessible; in the green areas only the upper paths are, not the riverbank. Accessible parking spaces in the Plaza, Arena and East Side Mall parking garages. Restroom in the visitor information center, no baby changing room. Guided tours in Easy Language (Leichte Sprache) can be booked. Dogs on a leash are allowed.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Stroller-friendly
• Baby changing facilities: not available

Family tour “Mauerkunst entdecken” for children aged 8 to 12 and their families (1 hour; children free, adults €3.50, concession €2.50), meeting point at the Info-Mobil opposite Tamara-Danz-Straße. Easy to explore with a stroller, benches available. Restroom in the visitor information center at Mühlenstraße 73, but no baby changing room.

Getting there & parking

Amenities & dining

• Café: not available
• Restaurant: not available
• Coat check: not available
• Lockers: not available

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.

Plan your visit