Berlin wall graffiti art
Encyclopedia
The Berlin Wall
was constructed in 1961 to separate Germany
and Berlin
during the Cold War
. The wall was on the "death strip". All the differences between the countries made it a perfect place for people to express their opinions, especially on their preferences and dislikes. In the 1980s, the wall was reconstructed and made 14 feet tall. Graffiti
ng on the wall became popular for artists from all over the world and a place where tourists would go and admire the artwork. The West Berlin
side of the wall had artwork completely covering the wall, while the East Berlin
side was kept blank.
The Berlin wall was the largest canvas in the world. Unfortunately, much of the artwork was not claimed by artists and remains anonymous. Because the wall was open to everyone, there were no restrictions on what artists could put on the wall. Over the past 30 years since the collection of artwork was started, much of the controversial artwork has been removed from the wall. Almost all of the wall has been removed and it only exists in places such as Potsdamer Platz
, Mühlenstrasse
, and Bernauer Strasse. Painting had been prohibited on the east side of the wall during East German times, so not a lot of new art has been added since the 1990s.
Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall was a barrier constructed by the German Democratic Republic starting on 13 August 1961, that completely cut off West Berlin from surrounding East Germany and from East Berlin...
was constructed in 1961 to separate Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
during the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
. The wall was on the "death strip". All the differences between the countries made it a perfect place for people to express their opinions, especially on their preferences and dislikes. In the 1980s, the wall was reconstructed and made 14 feet tall. Graffiti
Graffiti
Graffiti is the name for images or lettering scratched, scrawled, painted or marked in any manner on property....
ng on the wall became popular for artists from all over the world and a place where tourists would go and admire the artwork. The West Berlin
West Berlin
West Berlin was a political exclave that existed between 1949 and 1990. It comprised the western regions of Berlin, which were bordered by East Berlin and parts of East Germany. West Berlin consisted of the American, British, and French occupation sectors, which had been established in 1945...
side of the wall had artwork completely covering the wall, while the East Berlin
East Berlin
East Berlin was the name given to the eastern part of Berlin between 1949 and 1990. It consisted of the Soviet sector of Berlin that was established in 1945. The American, British and French sectors became West Berlin, a part strongly associated with West Germany but a free city...
side was kept blank.
The Berlin wall was the largest canvas in the world. Unfortunately, much of the artwork was not claimed by artists and remains anonymous. Because the wall was open to everyone, there were no restrictions on what artists could put on the wall. Over the past 30 years since the collection of artwork was started, much of the controversial artwork has been removed from the wall. Almost all of the wall has been removed and it only exists in places such as Potsdamer Platz
Potsdamer Platz
Potsdamer Platz is an important public square and traffic intersection in the centre of Berlin, Germany, lying about one kilometre south of the Brandenburg Gate and the Reichstag , and close to the southeast corner of the Tiergarten park...
, Mühlenstrasse
East Side Gallery
The East Side Gallery is an international memorial for freedom. It is a 1.3 km long section of the Berlin Wall located near the centre of Berlin on Mühlenstraße in Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg.-Description:...
, and Bernauer Strasse. Painting had been prohibited on the east side of the wall during East German times, so not a lot of new art has been added since the 1990s.
External links
- http://www.berlinwallart.com/
- http://www.dailysoft.com/berlinwall/art/index.htm
- http://www.berlinwallart.com/literature.htm