(Above) An East German guard monitors railway goods trucks passing through the Staaken Railway checkpoint. © IWM
Exhibition: Living with the Wall: Berlin 1961-1989 Imperial War Museum North, Manchester, September 12 2009-March 21 2010
The Imperial War Museum North is celebrating the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall with a special exhibition, Living with the Wall – 1961-1989.
The memorial to Olga Segler, an East German killed when attempting to escape over the Berlin Wall. In the background an East German guard observes the British Army photographer. © IWM
The exhibition of more than 20 photographs, some of which have never been on public display, are taken from the IWM archive and illustrate one of the most remarkable stories in history as a city was divided in half.
The display shows how the wall developed from a primitive barbed wire fence into a modern fortification, as well as how families were separated and what happened to those who tried to escape and the momentous day when East and West were finally reunited.
The opening of the Berlin Wall, November 1989: East German guards struggle to restrain a crowd of East Berliners at the reopening of the Berlin Wall. © IWM
"It is remarkable to think that until only 20 years ago one of Europe's great cities was sliced in two," said Jim Forrester, Imperial War Museum North Director.
"The suffering of people separated from family and friends for more than a quarter of a century is difficult to imagine. This display conveys the human story of what it was like living with the Wall, including remarkable stories of bravery and courage."
1950s British Sector border sign: Border signs were used to close off roads leading from the British sector of West Berlin into East Berlin at the end of the Second World War. © IWM
Artefacts from the Berlin wall are on permanent display around the IWM North including a searchlight, believed to be the only survivor of 302 originally mounted on watchtowers along the Berlin Wall, sitting next to a piece of the Wall itself in the Museum.
Other pieces on permanent display include a classic Cold War Trabant car, an East German riot shield and visor and a Daily Telegraph newspaper from 14 August 1961.
(Above) 1982 Trabant Deluxe Estate Car: The Trabant was manufactured in Eastern Europe during the Cold War. © IWM
In November the IWM will be launching an online exhibition called What Lies Beneath: British Experiences of the Cold War, running until March 2013.
The launch will coincide with the November anniversary and will focus on British experiences exploring what it was like for the men and women who lived their lives against the backdrop of the Cold War.
