Arguably one of the most influential pieces of concrete of the entire 20th century, this
construction project divided a city and changed the course of history. But 30 years on from
the fall of the Berlin Wall, what does the city feel like now? Is it truly reunited?
How are architecture and construction playing a part? And what are people who live here
really think? We're in Berlin to find out.
At the end of the Second World War, Germany was partitioned into four occupation zones,
each controlled by one of the allied forces: France, the United States, the United Kingdom
and the Soviet Union. Reflecting these zones, Berlin was also split into four sectors, with
the eastern half of the city coming under the authority of the communist German Democratic
Republic, or GDR. But once the country split entirely into East and West Germany in 1949,
huge numbers of East Germans began moving to the West, mostly in search for a better
quality of life. Seeing their population decrease and economy suffer, the GDR began constructing
a barbed wire and concrete barricade through the city centre and around West Berlin in
the early hours of the 13th of August 1961. A physical barrier that would go on to divide
Berliners for a generation. The effect of the separation on each community was profound,
with East and West Germans thrown into opposing political, cultural and economic systems,
creating an ever-growing imbalance in living conditions on either side of the wall.
But on November 9th 1989, in response to international pressure, with the Cold War
beginning to de-escalate and with the GDR in turmoil, Berlin's citizens were finally given
the freedom of the entire city once again. After 28 long years, the wall came down amid
dramatic scenes. This historic moment marked the start of Germany's steady process of reunification.
In Berlin today, on first impression, it's easy to forget that the wall ever existed.
And structures like the Brandenburg Gate, now permanently open, have become symbols
of a united Germany. Equally, the Reichstag Building, which added a modern glass dome
in 1999, is a key example of a piece of architecture symbolising the reunification process.
Indeed, many examples of contemporary architecture have now sprung up along the route of the
former border. From major transport hubs like Central Station, to the headquarters for the
real estate company GSW. What were once no-go zones have also been transformed into hives of activity.
This is Potsdamer Platz and, again, the wall used to run right through here. This was one
of the city's thriving intersections, but it became pretty much deserted overnight when
the wall went up. Now, with the wall down, there's construction work happening, developments
taking place, and Potsdamer has returned to become one of the key hubs of this city.
Although visual clues of where the wall once stood are now scarce, reminders do still exist,
ensuring the city's history is retained. While some are hard to spot, others are far easier to find.
One of the best examples of this is probably Checkpoint Charlie, named after Checkpoint
C by the Allied forces. This was one of the main crossings between East and West Berlin.
It was also the scene of a major standoff between the Soviet and Allied forces when
tensions were at their highest. Today, as you can see and hear, it's very touristy.
I mean, they have retained Checkpoint Charlie, it's not the original checkpoint, there's
a kind of a mock-up of what the checkpoint used to look like there. I've studied the
history of this space. I know the importance and the historical significance of the ground
we’re currently standing on. But then you get here and it's very busy, you've got KFC,
which has sprung up right next to it. And it's almost just so busy that it kind of cheapens
the experience a little bit. I guess you get that with any kind of big historical site
in any city. But, yeah, Checkpoint Charlie has surprised me.
While Checkpoint Charlie has been turned into a very prominent reminder of the past,
many less obvious signs of the division still remain around the city if you know where to look.
When crossing the street in some areas, it's still possible to see the old East German
pedestrian signal figures, which have now gained something of a cult status. In other places,
double lines of cobblestones mark the route of the wall, along with memorial markers and
information boards at what were once key points. Beyond these small indicators, much larger
areas of the city have retained many of their original features.
Right now I am in Alexanderplatz. Now, this area was devastated at the end of the Second
World War. But when the wall went up in 1961, the Soviets set about making this the heart
of East Berlin. This was the heart of the city. This is where people in the East came
to as their city centre. But now, as part of the reunified Berlin, it's part of that
bigger city, but many of its original features still remain.
While physical signs of the divided years are now becoming harder to find, some residents
still perceive there to be inequality between the former East and West regions, both socially
and economically, even though much progress has been made since the wall came down.
By 2018, the economic strength of the area formerly classed as East Germany had risen to 75% of
the West German level from just 43% in 1990. Employment is at a high in the former East
German region, and wages there are 84% of those in the West. However, despite much being
done on the convergence of living conditions since the country officially reunified in
1990, there remains an imbalance. Even German Chancellor Angela Merkel said in 2019 that
there is still a lot to do to create equal living conditions between the whole of the
former East and West German regions, not just in Berlin. Furthermore, in the recent ‘State
of German Unity’ survey, 57% of Germans living in the east of the country said that
they still felt like second-class citizens. Only 38% of those surveyed in the east see
reunification as a success, including just 20% of people younger than 40. But what about
the citizens of Berlin specifically? Beyond the major landmarks that we've explored here,
how did they see the process of reunifying the city to date?
What is it really like? Is there really a sense of unity or is there a kind of underlying
sense of division still between people, or is it truly unified?
I think you can find both. Berlin is definitely a unified city with its one centre and all
its little districts and all its different identities and all its various cultures of
people living here. And everybody will tell you a little bit of their truth and their identity.
What do you think has been the biggest thing that's led to the city feeling more unified?
The completion of the S-Bahn ring has definitely helped. And then making Berlin have one centre
definitely helps in feeling that you live in one city.
It was a piece of construction, the wall, that divided the city for 28 years. To what
extent do you think architecture and construction is really playing a role in helping the city
feel like one cohesive capital again?
While the wall has been up for 28 years, it's already been down for 30 years now. And of
course, there's been a lot of developments along the death strip along the sides of the wall.
There are a lot of new buildings, you can almost not trace where it was. It's also not
a thing to remember crossing it or minding your step when you're crossing it. It's like
we just live with the memory of the wall. And Berlin has definitely a lot of tourists
because of the wall, which is very welcome because we like to commemorate our history here.
That feeling you describe now where you don't feel you have to step over it, you don't even
remember if you're in east or west Berlin anymore. To what extent has that changed from
when you first moved here in 1994?
We would cross to the other part of the city then you would feel so many differences in
atmosphere and colour. East Berlin was so much more grey and just 50 meters away west
Berlin was so much more colourful.
So, you're 20 years old, you've only ever known a united Germany. Does it feel like
a united country to you?
Economically, not really. We have taken massive steps to undergo the inequality that is still
seen today. But the mindsets still remain divided to this day.
I think being East German is still part of my identity.
My entire family is from the east and therefore, you know,
the way I was brought up is sort of East German still. And it shaped me as a person. And I
assume people from the west also were brought up with a Western mindset.
So, for you it still feels, I mean it’s a united city, but you still see those signs every day?
I do, here in the town centre it's obvious. If you look at where the wall was built, you
can't miss it. You see the Brandenburg Gate and you notice, oh, this is the east, this is the west.
In the east you can see many tram lines, while the west virtually has none.
The streetlights in the east tend to be yellow, while they're blue in the west. Small differences
that do add up in the end. So, you will be able to tell that, oh, I'm in the former West,
I'm in the former East.
Over the course of your lifetime, do you think architecture, construction, new infrastructure
projects, efforts to make the city feel more united through buildings and built infrastructure;
do you think that's made a difference or do you think it's still a long way to go?
There are still massive differences between the town centre like here and sort of the
suburbs. Some of the suburbs still feel like you are in 1980, both in the west and in the
east. But here in the town centre, architecture has definitely helped unite this city.
While the extent to which Germany and its capital are now reunited may remain a topic
of debate, and while reunification is recognised as an ongoing process, Berlin's status as
one of the world's most resilient urban centres cannot be disputed. Enduring destruction at
the end of the Second World War, the city has gone from being divided, in many ways,
in the decades that followed, to becoming known for the exact opposite. Where populations
were once forced apart, they are now welcomed with open arms to a place that is synonymous
with inclusivity, diversity and with celebrating people from all walks of life.
While its wounds are continuing to heal,
the progress made in the space of just 30 years powerfully demonstrates
the true strength and resilience of this remarkable city and its people.
So that concludes our trip to Berlin. The city is reunited but you look just below the
surface and there is some division still there. I know we only spoke to two people and, I
have to say it's only when I spoke to Alex and I heard the view that he had, that his
family had, having lived and grown up in East Berlin, I realised for the first time in my
life that I've kind of learned about the history of Berlin through Western eyes. And what was
seen as a great success and a great liberation by the West wasn't a raging success story
for the people in the East, even though they gained their freedom, lots of other challenges
came, and some of those challenges are still here, still very real now. If you were to
ask me, what are the greatest cities in the world? Berlin has surely got to be up there.
To go through what it's been through and to now be what it is today is absolutely remarkable.
So that's me guys. I really hope enjoyed watching this, we hope you enjoyed coming on the journey
with us to Berlin. Make sure you subscribe, make sure you tell your friends and we'll
catch you soon.