Guide to Visiting the Berlin Wall Memorial at Bernauer Strasse

The Berlin Wall is a huge piece of the city’s history, and it’s something I’m sure you’re interested in learning about on your trip to Berlin. Visiting the Berlin Wall Memorial at Bernauer Strasse is definitely something that should be high on your list of places to see in Berlin because it’s so rich in interesting information about the Wall.

In this guide to the Bernauer Strasse Berlin Wall Memorial, you’ll learn about the memorial and why it’s important, what the different sections are, and lots of other helpful tips for seeing this amazing attraction.

About the Berlin Wall

In case you don’t know much about the Berlin Wall, it separated East and West Berlin for more than 28 years. In the aftermath of World War II, East and West Germany became two different countries, with the East being backed by the Soviets.

Berlin was also divided into East and West, and after more than a decade of East German residents migrating to the West, the East German leadership began putting up physical barriers in the city. On August 13, 1961, fences and barbed wire went up along the border dividing East and West Berlin.

These fences were quickly replaced by a concrete wall, and the border area became more and more fortified. That single Wall became multilayered and included a no man’s land, dubbed the death strip.

Watch towers, guard dogs, and bright lights were used to detect people who were trying to escape across the border. In the late 1970s, the Berlin Wall was actually rebuilt for improved prevention and surveillance, which allowed leadership to remove a lot of the other barricades that were seen as bad for its international image.

At various points along the border between East Berlin and West Berlin, many people tried to flee. Some were successful while others were caught and died.

On November 9, 1989, a new law regarding travel between East and West was accidentally announced. This led to people rushing to the borders and guards opening the borders to those who wanted to cross.

This was essentially the beginning of the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of the East German dictatorship. And although most of the Wall has been torn down, there are still quite a few places in Berlin to see remnants of the Berlin Wall.

History about the Wall Memorial at Bernauer Strasse

The Wall Memorial here is 1.4km (0.87 mile) long and spans the entire length of Bernauer Strasse where the Berlin Wall once stood separating one side of the road from the other. It also cut off Ackerstr, a street that intersected with Bernauer Strasse.

Because of where the border between East and West was drawn, the Wall actually went up just outside the windows of East Berlin residents here. In those first few days when it was just a fence, some tried to escape by jumping out of their windows.

It didn’t take long before the windows facing the Wall were bricked up. Eventually people living here were force to relocate.

Not only were residents displace, but the local community church stood in the area that became the death strip. The church was no longer accessible, and the authorities even moved the graves in the cemetery.

This memorial tells the stories of the people whose lives were changed forever by the section of the Berlin Wall that went up along Bernauer Strasse.

>>Read: Fun Facts About Berlin

How to visit the Berlin Wall Memorial at Bernauer Strasse

The Berlin Wall Memorial at Bernauer Strasse is one that deserves a good amount of time. There are several different sections to see, lots of history to learn, and don’t forget, it’s nearly a mile long.

Here’s some info about the different sections of the Memorial and some tips for making the most of your visit.

Visitors center

You can visit the different sections of the memorial in any order, but I think starting at the visitors center is the way to go.

In the visitors center, you can watch two short films, 15 minutes each, about the Berlin Wall. The first one is about the Wall at Bernauer Strasse in Berlin, and the second one is about the border fortifications in Saxony-Anhalt that divided East Germany from West Germany.

They’re very informative and moving films, and I think seeing them first sets the stage for the memorial. But of course if you don’t get to see them until afterwards, it’s still very much worth coming inside for these films.

The films play in German on the hour and in English on the half hour, so plan accordingly.

Address: Bernauer Str. 119, 13355 Berlin
Closest transport: Nordbahnhof Sbahn station and M10 tram stop
Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., closed Monday

Documentation center

About halfway along the memorial on Bernauer Strasse is the documentation center. It sits at the intersection of Bernauer Strasse and Ackerstr, an intersection that was broken by the Wall.

In the documentation center, you can see exhibits about the history of Berlin’s division. There are biographies, audiovisual materials, and firsthand witness reports of what it was like to live here during that time.

The documentation center is also where you’ll find the observation tower. Climb a few flights of stairs or take the elevator, and then you can look out over a section of the Berlin Wall that’s been preserved.

Here you can see a watch tower and a section of what was the death strip. It’s an interesting view of Berlin from above.

Address: Bernauer Str. 111, 13355 Berlin
Closest Transport: Gedenkstätte Berliner Mauer M10 tram stop
Opening hours: Tuesday – Sunday, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m., closed Monday

Border and Ghost Stations in Divided Berlin

Since Berlin was one city before the Wall divided it, the transport system obviously served both sides. This became a problem for the authorities in East Berlin, and stations in the East were patrolled and/or boarded up to prevent escapes.

The Border and Ghost Stations Exhibit in the Nordbahnhof Station tells the stories of these stations and how the trains functioned here. You can also learn about escape attempts and fortifications that were used underground to try to stop these types of escapes.

You’ll find lots of photos, maps, and interesting information here. It’s a small display but really worthwhile.

(Just be aware that the back corner may or may not smell like a toilet. Ah, Berlin…)

Address: Invalidenstraße 131, 10115 Berlin
Closest transport: Nordbahnhof Sbahn station and M10 tram stop
Opening hours: whenever the Sbahn station is open

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Outdoor exhibit

The outdoor exhibit at the Bernauer Strasse Wall Memorial stretches down the entire length of Bernauer Strasse and shows many aspects of the Wall’s history here. Take your time and read the info placards, which are in German and English.

These placards tell stories of this section of the Berlin Wall and the community that lived here at various points of the Wall’s history. This includes stories about people who tried – some successfully, some not – to escape from East Berlin.

You’ll see the section of Wall that you can look over from the observation platform at the documentation center plus another collection of Berlin Wall pieces. There are also tall metal stakes in the ground indicating where the Wall stood.

Metal markers in the ground show where some of the most famous and successful escape tunnels were. Other metal markers show where residential buildings stood before they were torn down for the Wall.

There are also several smaller memorials within this large memorial.

Conrad Schumann Memorial: This honors an East German border policeman who spontaneously decided to jump over the barbed wire just a couple days after it was installed. His escape was photographed and widely publicized, and it’s a photo you may have even seen.

Victims of the Berlin Wall Window of Remembrance: At least 140 people died or were killed at the Berlin Wall between 1961 and 1989. This wall of photos honors the 140 known victims of the Berlin Wall.

Address: From the visitors center at Bernauer Str. 119, 13355 Berlin to Bernauer Str. 50, 10435 Berlin
Closest transport: Nordbahnhof Sbahn station and M10 tram stop, Bernauer Str U8 station, several M10 stops
Opening hours: Technically 8am to 10pm, but it’s accessible 24 hours a day, easier to visit during daylight hours

Reconciliation Church

As the Berlin Wall was built, a church that sat on Bernauer Str was deemed to be too close to the Wall. Authorities cut off access to the church, and it became part of the no man’s land.

Eventually the church was demolished to make patrolling the border an easier task.

Some time after the Wall fell, a church was rebuilt here, and today it honors the victims of the Wall. Biographies of the victims of the Wall are read here, one per day at noon Tuesday through Friday, and the church plays a big part in remembering the tragedies that occurred here.

Address: Bernauer Str. 4, 10115 Berlin
Closest Transport: Gedenkstätte Berliner Mauer M10 tram stop
Opening hours: Sunday 11am to 5pm, Tuesday to Friday 10am to 5pm, Saturday 12:30pm to 5pm, closed Monday

>>Read: 47 Interesting Places to See Cold War Sites in Berlin

Things to know before you go

Admission to all sections of the Bernauer Strasse Berlin Wall Memorial is free. This includes the visitors center and short films, the exhibition in Norbahnhof, the documentation center and observation platform, the church, and all of the outdoor exhibits and memorials.

This is an in-depth memorial site with lots of different sections. You should allow 30 minutes to watch the two films at the visitors center plus at least another hour or two to experience the other sections.

The outdoor sections Berlin Wall Memorial at Bernauer Strasse are accessible 24 hours a day, though technically opening hours are listed as 8am to 10pm. It’s best visited in daylight hours anyway.

The indoor sections have opening hours (see each section above for more details) and are all are closed on Mondays except the exhibit in Nordbahnhof.

Pay special attention to the timing of the films in the visitors center. They play in German on the hour and in English on the half hour.

What to wear on your visit

Since most of the memorial is outdoors, and it’s 1.4km (0.87 mile) long, you’ll be on your feet a lot. Wear comfortable shoes, and dress for the weather at the time of year you’re visiting Berlin.

>>Read: What to Wear & What to Pack for Berlin, Germany: Your Ultimate Berlin Packing List

How to get to the Bernauer Strasse Berlin Wall Memorial

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It’s easiest to start at one end and work your way down. If you’re using public transport, take the S1, S2, S25, or S26, or tram 12, M8, or M10 to the Nordbahnhof Sbahn station to start at the exhibit there followed by the visitors center.

Alternatively, you can start at the other end near Bernauer Strasse and Schwedter Strasse by taking the M10 to the Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn-Sportpark tram stop. You can also take the U8 to Bernauer Strasse which is a few blocks west of Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn-Sportpark.

Berlin Travel Resources

I want you to have the best trip to Berlin, and hopefully this guide to visiting the Berlin Wall Memorial at Bernauer Strasse is helpful. But there are lots more tips on the site!