Berlin Wall In images
Americans have felt close ties to the citizens of Berlin.
In the words of President Kennedy "All free men, wherever they may live, are citizens of Berlin, and therefore, as a free man, I take pride in the words 'Ich bin ein Berliner.' (I am a Berliner)."
President Reagan at Checkpoint Charlie – 1983.
President Reagan at Berlin Wall – 1987.
Briefly describe the events that you see in Photo 1: Who is represented on the right of the photo? Who is represented on the left of the photo?
(8)
Question for Photo 2: In this East German diagram of the Berlin Wall, what “image” of the wall do you think the author/artist is trying to portray?
(9)
Question for Photo 3: Why is there a soldier with the brick layer?
(10)
Questions for Photo 4: What does this “eerie” photo tell us? What nations are represented at the “Allied Checkpoint?” What might be the responsibility of the soldier in the checkpoint building?
(11)
Question for Photo 5: What could have been done to prevent the escape of East Germany soldiers assigned to guard the wall?
(12)
Description of Photo 5: “A defecting East German soldier, Conrad Schuman, leaps over a barbed wire barricade at the Bernauer Street sector into West Berlin on Aug. 15, Schuman made his break for freedom to join his family, which had fled earlier to West Berlin”
Questions for Photo 6: Other than tunnels, what other means of escape might have been attempted? What fears would you have crawling in a tunnel to the West?
(13)
Description of Photo 6 “Klaus-Michael von Keussler of West Berlin prepares to dig a tunnel underneath the Wall in Nov Almost a year later Keussler and others completed the tunnel, allowing 57 East Germans to crawl into West Berlin.”
Question for Photos 7 & 8: What would motivate you to risk everything?
(14)
Description of Photo 7 “East German border guards carry away Peter Fechter, after they shot him down as he tried to flee to the west. Fechter laid for 50 minutes in no- man's land before he was taken to a hospital. He died shortly after arriving. Fechter became the first of 192 people who would die while trying to escape East Germany by climbing over the Wall.”
Questions for Photo 8 : Aside from the wall being a large canvas, what would draw an artist to the wall?
Question for Photo 9: Briefly describe the emotions/crowd tones that are evident in this photo?
(17)
Question for Photo 10: What side of the wall are these gentlemen standing on? Explain your answer.
(18)
Question for Photo 11: Why would parents bring their children to this event?
(30)(19)
How is Berlin a symbol or metaphor for the entire Cold War period? Consider the economic, cultural and political implications of the separation and eventual reunification of this important city?