By Cacinda Maloney
Berlin Graffiti
I have a hard time with the city of Berlin and have expressed my views quite frequently, but that does not mean that I do not want to go back, in fact, I do. After looking over some photographs of Berlin Wall graffiti, I thought I would share a photo collage of this complex city. Just like people can be complicated, so can cities, as I have come to discover.
“Cities are complex places. We need to embrace the complexity, and the difficult and sometimes painful feedback that comes along with it, if we want our cities to grow strong and resilient.” – Strong Towns
Berlin Graffiti
Berlin Graffiti
Berlin Graffiti
Art critic Emilie Trice has called Berlin Graffiti “the graffiti mecca of the urban art world.”
Berlin Graffiti
Berlin Graffiti
Berlin Graffiti
Berlin Graffiti
Berli Graffiti
You may recall that the Berlin Wall is a UNESCO world heritage site. Local authorities don’t do much about the Berlin Wall Graffiti, especially since the graffiti attracts tourists and tourists bring in cash to a city deep in debt. Berliners have a slang term known as Das Bombing, they are referring to the act of ‘bombing’ the streets with graffiti. This is because Berlin was once known as the most “bombed” out city in Europe. Graffiti has become such a part of Berlin’s Straßenkultur (street culture), that it has become as much a part of Berlin as all of its other tourist attractions. The Berlin Wall is listed as things to do in Berlin on most Top 10 lists!
Berlin Graffiti
Berlin Graffiti
Berlin Graffiti
Berlin Graffiti
Berlin Graffiti
Visitors to Berlin always want to know: Is the Berlin Graffiti legal? It is a difficult question for Berliners to answer. There is so much of it that Berliners just don’t know anymore. Very little criticism is directed at it. But the head of the anti-graffiti team, Chief Detective Marko Moritz, insists that the city views graffiti as a crime! In 2008, 15,000 graffiti offenses were reported in Berlin, costing €30 million in damages. In August 2015, Berlin police say a portion of the East Side Gallery was defaced with anti-Semitic graffiti in an incident as thousands of Jewish athletes are in the German capital for the European Maccabi Games. The defaced section was the painting “Vaterland” or “Fatherland” — a work by artist Guenther Schaefer showing the Jewish star of David in the middle of the German flag, this is according to Fox news. Berlin authorities concealed that section of the wall of Berlin off until the graffiti was removed. The artist of this particular part states that he plans to paint over the hate speech, restoring the monument’s original message of unity.
Berlin Graffiti
Berlin Graffiti
Berlin Graffiti
Berlin Graffiti
Berlin Graffiti
And to the person who wrote “[email protected]#K the USA”, on the sign above: I say “[email protected]#k YOU!”
It seems to me that Berlin has accepted graffiti as part of its cultural identity, as so many cities I visit.
Below is the street art of French artist Thierry Noir. Noir is claimed to be the first artist to paint on the wall of Berlin in 1984. Noir says his aim was not to embellish it, but to demystify the wall of Berlin.
Berlin Graffiti
Berlin Graffiti
Berlin Wall Graffiti
Berlin Wall Graffiti
Berlin Wall Graffiti
Berlin Wall Graffiti
Berlin Wall Graffiti
Berlin Wall Graffiti
Berlin Wall Graffiti
Berlin Wall Graffiti
Prior to the fall of the Berlin Wall, the west side of the Berlin Wall was covered in graffiti, paintings, and drawings as a means of expression and rebellion by the people on the western side. The east side of the wall was kept blank, as nobody was allowed to go close enough to it to be able to put graffiti on it. Once the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, all types of graffiti were added to the eastern side. It was a blank page just waiting for more artists. What remains today is known as the East Side Gallery, a 1.3 km stretch of the Berlin Wall located near the center of Berlin, where you can view the pieces you see here.
For another article about the Berlin Wall:
More articles about Berlin:
Swinging in a Ballhaus in Berlin
And for a fun article about the Berlin Wall: Echoes of the Berlin Wall’s Fall Today in Silicon Valley
Germany Tourism
Things to do in Germany
Black Forest, Germany’s Traditional Bollenhut Hat
Sounds From the Black Forest, Germany
Hansel and Gretal’s Black Forest Near Breisach, Germany
Guide to Celebrating Carnival in Schramberg, Germany
Carnival– Enchanting Creatures Lurking in the Black Forest
Carnival – Enchanting Creatures Lurking in the Black Forest – Part 2
“Wild on the Water” Carnival Raft Race in Schramberg, Germany
The Best European Christmas Markets on the Rhine River with Viking River Cruises
Thanks for sharing your photos and insight, Cacinda! What interesting works of art.
They are quite interesting! A complicated city!
Berlin is such a complicated city, but I love it. They have great street art, too! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Yes, it is pretty crazy! I need to return when it is not so cold…
I visited Berlin for the first time this summer and didn’t much care for it. The buildings were gray and ugly and the streets were too wide for walking. It reminded me a lot of Beijing, actually. But I didn’t make it to the East Side Gallery and am kicking myself! So much cool art!
Yes, the East Side Gallery is actually a highlight of this grey dark dungeon. Also loved the watching the swing dancing, but I think I could still give it another chance in the summer!
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