Introduction to the East Side Gallery
In 1990, the East Side Gallery was created on a section of the Berlin Wall. Around 118 artists from 21 countries came together to create murals that celebrated the fall of the wall. One of the most notable works is "Brotherly Kiss" by Moscow artist Dmitri Vrubel, which depicts former Soviet Union leader Leonid Brezhnev and East German regime head Erich Honecker in a passionate hug. This iconic piece remains one of the most cult works in the gallery.
The Rise of Counterculture
Together with the art, a counterculture flourished on the banks of the Spree River, behind the former wall. Hundreds of people set up houses and creative rooms in caravans and improvised apartments. This community was a symbol of the artistic considerations of division and freedom that covered the former Berlin Wall. Vrubel’s "Brotherly Kiss" remains a powerful representation of this era.
The Impact of Real Estate Development
35 years later, the East Side Gallery has become a tourist hotspot, attracting over 400 million visitors per year. However, the area is now overshadowed by real estate development. Luxurious apartments and hotels have been built, pushing out the alternative lifestyles that once thrived there. Anna von Arnim-Roenthal, a cultural historian who has headed the East Side Gallery for the Berlin Wall Foundation since 2018, reflects on the radical changes in the region since the early 1990s.
A Caravan in the Middle of Berlin
After 1991, artists and alternative individuals from all over the world settled in the borderland of former East Berlin. However, as early as 1996, the area was released for urban development under pressure from the Senate. The caravan residents who inhabited the area had to leave. In the early 2000s, the banks of the Spree River were sold to US billionaire Philip Anschutz, leading to the construction of high-rise buildings, hotels, and offices.
The Loss of Alternative Lifestyles
The only remains of the alternative trailer warehouse or car castles are a hole in the wall that the residents built as a link. Rab Lewin, a photographer who temporarily lived in squats and caravan camps in Berlin from 1992, captured the everyday life of the community in his pictures. These images make it clear how much the area has changed. Today, the view is dominated by a highly towering Mercedes Benz Star logo over a glass building.
Between Development and Preservation
The fact that Berlin supported alternative lifestyles and the development of the area with luxury apartments and hotels must be viewed in the historical context. Von Arnim-Roenthal explains that people no longer wanted the wall in the cityscape, and there were only a few voices that wanted to keep it. As a result, people tried to find compromises, to develop the city further while preserving the place. Despite the development, the East Side Gallery and its art and spirit of freedom are still present. The manager of the East Side Gallery faces her favorite work of art: "The diagonal solution" by Russian artist Mikhail Seebryakov, which shows an increased thumb of a chain. The artist’s message is: Make the best of a bad situation.
