The familiar images from the demonstrations back in 1989/90 feature a number of slogans and messages painted on sheets, signs and cardboard. At the open-air installation set up along the path of the former Wall in central Berlin, some replicas of these historical banners will be on display alongside thousands of signs created at workshops this year. By bringing the two eras together, the demands made by citizens back enter into a dialogue with the hopes and wishes of people today.
Together, these posters and signs celebrating the Peaceful Revolution of 1989/90 make it possible to symbolically overcome the dividing line that dictatorship and lack of freedom once drove through Berlin 35 years ago. Visitors are invited to explore historical locations, to honour the achievements of people in the 1980/90 era, and also to commemorate the victims of the Wall and the death strip. The path of the installation will run along a 4-km section of the former Berlin Wall and invite everyone to experience, reflect and celebrate.
The open-air installation will be accessible to the public free of charge around the clock on 8 and 9 November 2024. It will be acompanied by multimedia installations including four large video cubes. On 9 November, an extensive programme with the Festival for Freedom as its highlight welcomes the spectators. From 10 November, a number of the signs will also be on display at the Campus for Democracy located at the former Stasi headquarters on Normannenstraße.
Historical banners
Part of the open-air installation are replicas of historical posters. During the mass protests in 1989/90, many participants carried banners with their demands, wishes and hopes. Many replicas of historical banners and posters from back then can now be seen in the open-air installation. They are in dialog with the signs that thousands of people have created in recent months. Because freedom, democracy and human rights cannot be taken for granted. They are values that still need to be preserved, protected and defended again and again today.
Locations of the replicas of historical posters within the event route:
- Zimmerstraße: on the street at the height of The Wall – asisi Panorama Berlin
- Niederkirchnerstraße: on the street between the House of Representatives and the Gropius Building
- Ebertstraße: on the central reservation of Ebertstraße / corner of Lennéstraße
- Kapelle-Ufer: on the riverside path below the Jacob-Mierscheid-Steg / Marie-Elisabeth-Lüders-Haus (Library of the German Bundestag)
- Alexanderufer: on the riverside path / Humboldthafen / near the railroad bridge
Programme
The presentation of signs will be acompanied by an extensive programme of events on 9 November. It sheds light on the fall of the Wall and today’s discourse on freedom from different perspectives. Talks, concerts, performances, readings and hands-on activities along the entire route will create moments of surprise, spaces for encounters, opportunities to pause and exchange ideas.
The detailed programme can be found on the pages of the respective programme locations:
Guided tours
Discover new perspectives on the Peaceful Revolution and the fall of the Wall. On Friday, 8 November, and Saturday, 9 November, guided tours will take place several times an hour in cooperation with the MUSEUMSDIENST BERLIN. Starting times and further information can be found here.
Freiheit verleiht Flügel
Cornelia Hentschel
Age: 47
Place of residence: Berlin – Wilmersdorf
Translation: Freedom gives wings
Mauern werden in Köpfen eingrissen
Fabienne Sauel
Age: 32
Place of residence: Berlin – Neukölln
Translation: Walls are planned, built and torn down in people’s minds
Selbstkritik
Barbara Hustedt
Age: 60
Place of residence: Berlin-Weißensee
Translation: Democracy needs self-criticism
Grenzenlos durch Berlin
Paulina Kuhn in collaboration with Katharina Hoffmann
Age: 24
Translation: Through Berlin without borders
freedom
Milena Wiemann
Age: 15
Place of residence: Berlin – Prenzlauer Berg
Ohne Titel
Vitali Klitschko
Age: 53
Place of residence: Kiew, Ukraine
Translation inscription: Kyyiv and Berlin know exactly what freedom means.
Jin Jinan Azadi
Düzen Tekkal with Tuğba Tekkal, Tülin Tekkal, Tezcan Tekkal, Tuna Tekkal
Place of residence: Berlin
Translation title: Women, Life, Freedom
Translation inscription: Peaceful revolution. Women, Life, Freedom.
Translation title: Walls are no solution
Translation inscription: Historically proved: Walls are no solution
Seid Menschen
Margot Friedländer
Age: 102
Place of residence: Berlin
Translation: be humans
conrad schumann
Vivienne Großmann
Age: 28
Translation inscription: The secret of freedom is courage
ohne Titel
Shuxi Wang, mit Maja Kutuile
Age: 13
Place of residence: Berlin – Zehlendorf
Mauern sind keine Lösung
Laura Hoffmann-Kuhnt
Age: 33
Place of residence: Berlin-Wedding
Translation: Historically tested for you: walls are not a solution.
Für Hoffnung
Inese Pavlova
Age: 43
Place of residence: Berlin – Kreuzberg
Translation: For hope
Translation inscription: There are many walls to break down
Demokratie ist eine Baustelle
Lena Hoppe
Age: 24
Place of residence: Berlin-Neukölln
Translation: Democracy is a construction site
Photoautomat
Julia Buhmann
Age: 21
Place of residence: Landau in der Pfalz
Translation: automatic photo booth
I saw it on the TV News
Conor McNally
Age: 42
Place of residence: USA
Without title
Kristian Arzig
Age: 41
Place of residence: Berlin
Translation inscription: special train to Pankow, I just gotta go there (lyrics of German song)
Without title
Gerald Ponesky
Age: 71
Place of residence: Berlin
Zusammen spielen
Ivette Hellriegel
Age: 51
Place of residence: Berlin
Translation: play together
Die Demokratie ist weiblich
Sebastian Krumbiegel
Age: 85
Place of residence: Leipzig
Translation: Democracy is female
Wehrhafte Demokratie
Susanna Kahlau
Age: 25
Place of residence: Berlin
Translation title: well-fortified democracy
Translation inscription: against fascism, well-fortified democracy, solidarity, community, together, courage, never again
Aufwachen
David Meier
Age: 29
Place of residence: Berlin-Kreuzberg
Translation title: Wake up
Translation inscription: Those who sleep in democracy will wake up in dictartorship
Mädchen mit Kopfhörern
Malin Glunz
Age: 21
Place of residence: Berlin-Kreuzberg
Translation title: Girl with headphones
Translation inscription: Build bridges instead of walls
Unterdrückung der Minderheiten
Gardina Borto
Age: 23
Translation title: Oppression of minorities
Translation inscription: Freedom begins where fear ends
Stimme erheben
Frank Schmid
Age: 28
Place of residence: Berlin-Mitte
Translation title: Raise your voice
Translation inscription: Courage is raising your voice when others remain silent
HDFH
Martin Kuhn
Age: 29
Place of residence: Berlin
Translation inscription: Hold freedom up high!
Digitalisierung
Lara Saidi
Age: 22
Place of residence: Berlin-Mitte
Translation title: Digitisation
Translation inscription: Digitalisation must not be a luxury. It must be accessible to everyone
#Demokratie
Julia Neumann
Age: 22
Place of residence: Berlin-Mitte
Translation title: #Democracy
respect
Heiko Schmidt
Age: 37
Place of residence: Berlin-Friedenau
Gender has no borders
Ulrike Brase
Age: 36
Die Mauer muss weg!
Natasja Günther
Age: 38
Translation title: The Wall must go!
Grenzenlose Hoffnung
Hans Rentsch
Age: 85
Place of residence: Berlin
Translation title: Unlimited hope
Translation inscription: I experienced the fall of the Wall as a moment of boundless hope
Die Gedanken sind frei
Ilke Celikkol
Age: 35
Place of residence: Berlin-Steglitz
Translation title: Thoughts are free
Mauer und Hände
Claudio Fischer Gonçalves
Age: 9
Place of residence: Berlin
Translation title: Walls and hands
Freiheit bunt
Leonardo JJ
Age: 29
Translation title: Colourful freedom
Freiheit
Uta Heib
Age: 44
Place of residence: Berlin-Marzahn
Translation title: Freedom
Freedom Barcode
Alexander Rausch
Age: 18
Place of residence: Berlin-Mitte
Translation inscription: Scanning freedom, breaking boundaries
Freiheitstäubchen
Anna D‘Souza
Age: 35
Place of residence: Berlin-Charlottenburg
Translation title: Dust of liberty
Freedom
Johanna Weidinger
Age: 12
Place of residence: Manching
Mauer mit Blumen und Wolken
Jasmin Valcarcel
Age: 29
Place of residence: Berlin – Neukölln
Translation: Wall with flowers and clouds
Für Hoffnung
Inese Pavlova
Age: 43
Place of residence: Berlin – Kreuzberg
Translation title: For hope
Michael Gorbatschow
Hans-Ulrich Ziedorn
Age: 65
Place of residence: Berlin-Mariendorf
Translation inscripion: There are no simple solutions to very complicated problems. You have to patiently untangle the thread so that it doesn’t break.
No title
Maximilian Jacobi
Age: 30
Place of residence: Berlin-Moabit
Translation inscription: Freedom means having the right to choose.
No title
Leonie Grahl, with Finesse Bashota, Emely-Theresa Schlaghauer and Anna Drewa
Age: 16
Place of residence: Ernsgaden
Translation inscription: Freedom
Die Kinder sind die Zukunft
Simon Bracho Kleiberg
Age: 17
Place of residence: Berlin-Charlottenburg
Translation title: Children are the future
Translation inscription: Children are the future. Children are the cure.
Wahlrecht
Indre Lampsatis
Age: 32
Place of residence: Berlin-Moabit
Translation title: Right to vote
Translation inscription: Voting rights for everyone who lives here.
Mut
Lisa Vazansky
Age: 44
Place of residence: Berlin-Friedrichshain
Translation title: Courage
Translation inscription: If you don’t change anything, nothing will change.
No title
Elsa Zander
Age: 16
Place of residence: Berlin-Prenzlauer Berg
Translation inscription: Walls are strong. We are stronger.
Ein Mädchen lässt Ballongas in die Luft steigen
Raneem Ziat
Age: 12
Place of residence: Berlin-Mitte
Translation title: A girl releases balloon gas into the air
Mauerfall
Vera Bethge
Age: 69
Place of residence: Berlin-Mitte
Translation title: Fall of the Berlin Wall
Translation inscription: Civil rights, Walk upright, Resilience, Rule of law, Freedom, Departure, Love, let live.
Social Media
Insta-Feed
