The Berlin Wall, formally erected in 1961, stood for nearly 3 decades as a stark symbol of the ideological divide of the Cold War era. 9 November marks 35 years since its fall in 1989. After it fell, countless people made their way to the Wall with pickaxes and sledgehammers. These ‘Mauerspechte’, literally ‘wall woodpeckers’, chipped away at the Wall to retrieve souvenirs from the monument that epitomised the conflict. To learn more about the rise and fall of the Berlin Wall on #IWMFilm see: https://lnkd.in/g6RPUi3J Each week we publish a clip from IWM’s extensive film collection, spanning the First World War to the 21st century. Explore and license our collection on the IWM Film website. Watch the film in full here: https://bit.ly/3CkSlIs ? NATO (IWM, NAT 3544)
I was in Berlin on the 9th of November 1989, during those weeks allied forces were distributing warm meals and beverages to people near the wall!
Interesting though they now want to preserve what's left, so future generations can see what a divided city it once was.
Been there!
I didn't know about the Mauerspechte. Seems relevant to this day to reflect on the impact division has on humanity.
President at Miller Media Consultants, Inc.
4 个月Interesting what was done in the name of Marxism.