The Berlin Wall was a strong concrete barrier stretching 97.2 miles built in 1961 by the communist government of East Germany. It cut off East Berlin from West Berlin. While the communist government attributed its construction to the protection of East Germans from fascist elements from the West, the West saw it as a symbol of communist suppression and lobbied for its destruction. The Berlin Wall was torn down in 1989 after the collapse of the Eastern Bloc to much fanfare. Due to the wall’s significance and symbolism during the Cold War, fragments of the walls were shipped all over the world. Remnants can be found in museums and other places of interest all over the world.
What Happened to All of the Pieces of the Berlin Wall?
United States
The United States has the most pieces of the Berlin Wall in North America, and pieces can be found in cities all over the country. The majority of fragments of the Berlin Wall are held by museums. The Wende Museum in Culver City, California boasts over ten sections of the Berlin Wall which are displayed in front of the 5900 Wilshire Boulevard building. They were placed here in 2009 during the commemoration of the 20 years since the fall of the wall. In Georgia, three sections are displayed at the National Infantry Museum and are a part of the US Army collections. One block of the Berlin Wall is located at a men’s washroom at a casino in Las Vegas known as Main Street Station Casino. The longest stretch of the Wall outside of Berlin is located on Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles with ten segments of the wall placed outside the Variety Building.
Vatican City
Vatican City hosts a fragment of the Berlin Wall which was donated to the Vatican by former Ferrari motorsport director, Marco Piccinini in August 1994. The chunk of the wall is located in the Vatican Gardens, an ancient serene location where popes meditate and relax.
South Korea
Three segments of the Berlin Wall are located in Seoul, South Korea near the Jiangtong Bridge of the Cheonggyecheon stream. The fragments are located in an open-air plaza known as Berlin Square whose construction was financed by the City of Berlin and was opened in 2005.
Spain
In the outskirts of the city of Madrid is a 233,000 square-meter park known as Parque Europa which features 17 replicas of the Berlin Wall and one original price of the wall. The segment was donated to the Parque Europa by the Torrejon de Ardoz town council.
Argentina
In 1991, Argentinian news company Perfil Group purchased 20 segments of the Berlin Wall. They are displayed at the company’s headquarters, the Perfil Group Building in the city of Buenos Aires.
United Kingdom
London has a few segments of the Berlin Wall with one being displayed in the Geraldine Mary Harmsworth Park which was acquired by the museum in 1991.
Why the Berlin Wall’s segments Were Taken to Different Places
The sections of the Berlin Wall are seen as symbols of freedom and unity among all people, which is why they are being kept by different institutions and organizations. They are used to send a message of freedom. Organizations keep them as a form of advertisement and show history that is unforgettable.
