Culver City,
California
x
And who will break the walls in the heads?
Maker: Unknown
Date Made: after January 7, 1989
Country: West Germany; Germany
Materials: photograph paper
Measurements: 12.5 cm x 17.5 cm; 4 15/16 in x 6 7/8 in
Language: German
Genre/Form: photograph
This is a color photograph of a section of the Berlin Wall as seen from the West. It is dated after January 7, 1989 based on the graffiti scrawled at the top: "Berlin ist immer eine Rose" (Berlin is always a rose). The date 7.1. 89 (January 7th, 1989) is also sprayed on. In addition, the Wall has been covered in yellow, red, and light blue graffiti although much of it has been chipped off, revealing a rough, grey cement surface. The steel mesh reinforcements of the concrete are partially visible where people have chipped deep into the Wall. Over this chipped off area, somebody has sprayed the sentence: "UND WER KNACKT DIE MAUERN IN DEN KÖPFEN?" (And who will break the walls in the heads?) in red and black paint. This question raises an important point- although the physical wall would be officially demolished soon after this photograph was taken, what about the cultural and psychological distance that the division of the city had created? The Berlin Wall, though manifested in a huge concrete structure, existed also in an immaterial way. Even after the reunification of Germany in 1990, West and East Berliners ("Wessis" and "Ossis", respectively) continued to consider themselves two distinct groups and to perpetuate prejudices against each other.
Collection/Series: Peter Bochmann Border Guard Collection
Accession Number: 2017.015.021