East Side Gallery

Interesting facts

1. 1

   The gallery features the iconic mural 'My God, Help Me to Survive This Deadly Love,' depicting the fraternal kiss between Leonid Brezhnev and Erich Honecker.

2. 2

   Artists began painting the wall in early 1990, just months after the border opened.

3. 3

   The murals are painted on the eastern side of the wall, which was inaccessible to East Berliners during the years of division.

4. 4

   The wall segment used for the gallery was originally a 'hinterland' wall, intended to stop people from reaching the death strip.

5. 5

   In 2009, for the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Wall, many original artists were invited back to repaint their faded or damaged works.

6. 6

   The Spree River side of the wall is largely free of murals, showing the original grey concrete construction.

7. 7

   The site was officially designated as a protected monument in 1991.

Overview

The East Side Gallery is the longest remaining contiguous section of the Berlin Wall, spanning 1,316 meters along the Spree River in Friedrichshain. Following the fall of the Wall in 1989, 118 artists from 21 countries transformed the eastern side of the barrier into an open-air mural gallery. The site serves as a memorial for the peaceful revolution and the end of the Cold War division. It is managed by the Berlin Wall Foundation, which oversees the ongoing preservation of the fragile concrete and artwork. Many original murals have required multiple restoration projects due to environmental erosion and persistent graffiti. The structure is legally protected as a heritage monument. Visitors walk along Mühlenstraße to view the exterior murals, which represent themes of political change, human rights, and unity. The site remains a pivotal symbol of modern German history.

Insider tips

• Walk the entire length starting from the Oberbaumbrücke side to finish near Ostbahnhof.

• Bring a physical map or use GPS, as the wall stretches over a kilometer and is easy to walk past the main highlights.

• Visit on a weekday morning to avoid heavy crowds that obscure the murals.