The Berlin Wall and Today’s Silent Struggle for Freedom

The Berlin Wall Memorial

The Berlin Wall was torn down 25 years ago, marking Germany’s reunification. A small segment of the wall on both the West and East side was placed at the memorial grounds   — a stark reminder of Germany’s grim past.

But while the Wall can no longer be seen, we were told that the divide in the minds of many Berliners – and Germans in general – remains palpable. For me, that was moving and, at the same time, disturbing.

Before we met with our tour guide, we took the train and got off at Nordbahnhof S-Bahn station. We learned later that the Berlin Wall ran through that train station.

Between 1961 and 1989, Nordbahnhof was one of the stations that was closed down. Although the station was heavily guarded, some Eastern Berliners used the underground passageway to defect to West Germany.

I touched the remnants of the Wall. It was an ordinary slab of cement and cable that rose above the ground.

But I thought of the families and loved ones who were separated by the Wall, those who perished by attempting to escape from the East, and the impact on the lives of the present Germans.