Secret London: The Berlin Wall
Published on Wednesday 15th September, 9.27am, Written by Kelly Pentland
Stroll through London and you may not expect to see sections of the infamous Berlin Wall, but if you know where to find them, they are indeed there.
A section of the Berlin Wall can be found at the National Army Museum and another piece sits outside the Imperial War Museum. They were moved to London by the Royal Logistical Corps and can be seen today at these famous museums.
Piece of the Berlin Wall outside London's Imperial War Museum
They may just looks like slabs of concrete, however, these slabs are laced with years of political history and came to symbolise the Cold War – a period of political tension after World War Two (1947 – 1991) mainly between the Soviet Union and the Western World.
The wall was constructed by the German Democratic Republic in 1961 to to divide East and West Germany, under the belief the West still followed Fascist ways and would interfere with creating a socialist state in the East.
The grim-looking concrete structure divided Berlin and it was officially referred to as the “Anti-Fascist Protection Wall”, it was more than 87 miles long. It prevented emigration between the East and West and into other Western European countries, dividing families in the process. It was guarded by 302 watch towers and many people lost their lives trying to jump this looming structure.
The wall was subsequently torn down from 1989 with people known as Mauerspechte or wall woodpeckers arriving with hammers to chips off pieces of the wall as souvenirs. It was officially dismantled between 1990 – 1991 by the East German military but its turbulent history lives on.
Parts of the wall can be found all around the world from Chicago to Washington, France and London. So, if you are a history buff, why not see a part of this fascinating wall for yourself.
I think there is more in London – just near the footpath,The London LOOP, Section 11 (Hayes & Harlington to Uxbridge) – There are pieces there that look like bits of the Berlin Wall in a Hillingdon Council site? Does anyone know anything?