East Side Gallery
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East Side Gallery - dronepicr - East Side Gallery (CC BY 2.0)
Description
The East Side Gallery memorial consists of a series of murals painted directly on a 1.3km long remnant of the Berlin Wall on Mühlenstraße between the Berlin Ostbahnhof and the Oberbaumbrücke along the Spree River. It was painted by 118 artists from 21 countries in the spring of 1990, only a few months after the wall "came down". In 2009, a lof of the paintings had to be restored (it is an open-air gallery and therefore exposed to the elements) and the East Side Gallery was transferred under the care of the Stiftung Berliner Mauer in 2018.
Access & Transport
The stations of Warschauer Straße (U1, U3, M10, S3, S5, S7, S9, S75) and Berlin Ostbahnhof (ICE and regional trains + S3, S5, S7, S9, S75) are the fastest way to get there and are each about 400m from one of the ends of the wall section. Bus 248 is also an excellent option with stops at East Side Gallery or Tamara-Danz-Straße.
Instructions & Recommendations
This activity is best combined with a walk along the Spree River, seeing the Oberbaüm bridge and maybe a visit to Markthalle Neun across the river.
Environmental & Social
Environmentally neutral. Marginally positive from a social perspective as a memorial
Conclusion
The East Side Gallery is a fantastic idea conceptually, but it suffers from a quality and maintenance issue; a lot of the murals are unimpressive and covered with graffiti. With hindsight, it may have been better to use a shorter section of wall but "curate" it better whilst letting the artists' provocative spirit unimpeded - a tough balancing act. We do think it is worth a visit but for visitors with at least 4 days in the city - the Berlin Wall Memorial remains higher up on the list of priorities.
Key positive
Original and some good photo opportunities
No entrance fees
Key negative
Not all murals are equally good and some graffiti problems
Suitability
Suitable for all ages and accessible to visitors with reduced mobility.
About this Rating
TYPE
Desktop
RESEARCHED IN
April 2023
PROVIDER
Koreval
av. transport time:0h 35m
est. visit time:1h
Sunrise / early morningOk
MorningOk
Lunch timeOk
AfternoonOk
Sunset / eveningOk
Night – bef. midnightNo
Night – aft. midnightNo