Freedom Memorial
Encyclopedia
The Freedom Memorial was a memorial to the victims of the Berlin Wall
in the vicinity of the Checkpoint Charlie Museum
in Berlin
. It opened on October 31, 2004, and was praised by both victims of the GDR
communist regime and human rights advocates alike. The memorial proved extremely popular with visitors to the city, attracting thousands of visitors per week.
The memorial was controversially demolished by the leftist Berlin city government (SPD
, PDS) on July 5, 2005, sparking international protests. The Checkpoint Charlie Museum and its director Alexandra Hildebrandt
are currently working to reconstruct the memorial.
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...
in the vicinity of the Checkpoint Charlie Museum
Checkpoint Charlie Museum
The Checkpoint Charlie Museum is a museum in Berlin. It is named after the famous crossing point on the Berlin Wall, and was created to document the so-called "best border security system in the world"...
in 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...
. It opened on October 31, 2004, and was praised by both victims of the GDR
German Democratic Republic
The German Democratic Republic , informally called East Germany by West Germany and other countries, was a socialist state established in 1949 in the Soviet zone of occupied Germany, including East Berlin of the Allied-occupied capital city...
communist regime and human rights advocates alike. The memorial proved extremely popular with visitors to the city, attracting thousands of visitors per week.
The memorial was controversially demolished by the leftist Berlin city government (SPD
Social Democratic Party of Germany
The Social Democratic Party of Germany is a social-democratic political party in Germany...
, PDS) on July 5, 2005, sparking international protests. The Checkpoint Charlie Museum and its director Alexandra Hildebrandt
Alexandra Hildebrandt
Alexandra Hildebrandt is a Ukrainian artist of German descent, as well as co-founder and current Director of the Checkpoint Charlie Museum and the chair of the Arbeitsgemeinschaft 13. August Association...
are currently working to reconstruct the memorial.