Open-Air Exhibition at the Square of November 9, 1989

On Bornholmer Strasse in the Pankow borough, an exhibition conceived by the organization Berliner Forum für Geschichte und Gegenwart e.V. takes a former GDR checkpoint as a backdrop to explore the following themes:

November 9 in German history
The “peaceful revolution” in the GDR and 9 November 1989
Border installations and the border crossing at Bornholmer Strasse
Other Berlin Wall memorial sites

The landscape architectural design was by sinai. Faust. Schroll. Schwarz. Freiraumplanung + Projektsteuerung GmbH, while ON architektur was responsible for the exhibition architecture.

The square is edged by a surviving section of the “inner security wall” (Hinterlandsicherungsmauer) that once enclosed the checkpoint at right angles to the border. A timeline embedded in the ground recalls the historic day the Wall fell.

To mark the 35th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall (2024), the exhibition panels were extensively renovated and upgraded. In addition, a QR code was added to one of the panels, allowing visitors to watch the ARD’s Tagesthemen news program from the evening of November 9 via their smartphones.

Map of Memorial Sites

The Berlin Wall has disappeared from the cityscape. This map highlights places in today’s urban landscape that serve as reminders of the Berlin Wall. These include memorial sites, informational panels, exhibitions, and artworks. The map provides insight into historical events, personal stories, and the varying forms of expression within the culture of remembrance.