Gedenkstätte Berliner Mauer

Current exhibitions

About the museum

On Bernauer Straße, the border between East and West Berlin ran right along the building facades. After the Wall went up in August 1961, people jumped from windows here into the West; later escape tunnels were dug, the residential buildings were cleared and demolished, and even the Church of Reconciliation in the border strip was blown up. This made the site a focal point of the history of division.

After the fall of the Wall, residents, the parish and historians campaigned to preserve part of the border fortifications. In 1998 the memorial with a reconstructed section of the border strip was inaugurated, followed in 1999 by the documentation center in the former parish hall of the Reconciliation congregation and in 2000 by the Chapel of Reconciliation, built of clay on the site of the demolished church.

In 2008 the memorial became part of the newly founded Stiftung Berliner Mauer (Berlin Wall Foundation). In several construction phases up to 2014, a memorial area about 1.4 kilometers long was created, with an open-air exhibition, a visitor center (2009), the Window of Remembrance for those killed at the Wall (2010) and the new permanent exhibition “1961 | 1989. Die Berliner Mauer.” From the tower of the documentation center, visitors look out over the last completely preserved section of the border fortifications, with the hinterland wall, patrol road and watchtower.

Highlights

• Preserved border strip with front and hinterland walls, patrol road and watchtower
• Observation tower of the documentation center with a view over the border fortifications
• Window of Remembrance with portraits of those killed at the Wall
• Chapel of Reconciliation on the foundations of the demolished Church of Reconciliation
• Marked escape tunnels and traces of demolished border houses
• Exhibition on the ghost stations in Nordbahnhof S-Bahn station

Permanent exhibitions

• 1961 | 1989. Die Berliner Mauer – The exhibition in the documentation center tells the story of Berlin's division, from the building of the Wall to its fall, on around 420 square meters.
• Dauerausstellung im Gedenkstättenareal – Using stations, foundations and markings, the open-air exhibition in the former border strip explains how the border system worked and what it meant for the people on Bernauer Straße.
• Grenz- und Geisterbahnhöfe im geteilten Berlin – Nordbahnhof S-Bahn station shows how stations beneath East Berlin were closed and guarded by border troops while West Berlin trains passed through.

Founded

1998

Operated by

Stiftung Berliner Mauer

Director

Axel Klausmeier

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Visiting the exhibitions and the outdoor grounds is free. On guided tours, children under 7, people with severe disabilities and accredited media representatives are free; some public tours are free for university students.

Accessibility

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

Visitor center and documentation center step-free with elevators. Free loan of wheelchairs, walking aids and seat sticks. Accessible restrooms with Euro key. Two accessible parking spaces each behind the visitor center and on Ackerstraße. Induction loops for group tours; tours in Easy Language and German Sign Language, and tactile programs for blind and visually impaired people.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Stroller-friendly
• Baby changing facilities

Bookable programs for children and families, such as children's tours (“Wer will Mauer-Experte werden?” – Who wants to become a Wall expert?), a tour with a creative workshop, and workshops. The outdoor grounds and both buildings can be visited with a stroller (elevator key available at the counter for a deposit); baby changing facilities in the visitor center and documentation center.

Getting there & parking

Amenities & dining

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

Lockers and cloakroom in the visitor center and documentation center; eating and drinking not allowed inside the buildings.

Events & venue rental

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

Plan your visit