The world's largest open-air gallery: 1.3km of the original Berlin Wall preserved and painted by 118 international artists in 1990. Murals include the famous Fraternal Kiss between Brezhnev and Honecker.
The East Side Gallery runs 1.3 kilometers along Mühlenstrasse in Friedrichshain, following the Spree river, and consists of the former eastern-facing side of the Berlin Wall, painted by 118 artists from 21 countries in 1990 shortly after reunification. The section survived because it formed the rear, eastern-facing wall of the border system rather than the heavily guarded front wall along the death strip, making it structurally intact when the Wall was largely demolished elsewhere. The murals painted in 1990 addressed themes of freedom, division, and hope, most famously Dmitri Vrubel's "My God, Help Me to Survive This Deadly Love," depicting the fraternal kiss between Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev and East German leader Erich Honecker, based on a 1979 photograph. Weathering, graffiti, and pollution damaged the original paintings over the following decade, prompting a full restoration between 2009 and 2010 in which most artists repainted their original works on the same concrete panels. The gallery is officially protected as a historic monument, administered by the Berlin Wall Foundation, though sections have periodically been removed for nearby construction, drawing public protest. Unlike the Berlin Wall Memorial at Bernauer Strasse, which preserves the full depth of the border system, the East Side Gallery consists only of the wall itself as an open-air canvas, best understood as a memorial through art rather than a reconstruction of the border's physical mechanics.
| Admission | Free |
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Why it matters
The East Side Gallery preserves the longest remaining stretch of the Berlin Wall and, through murals painted by international artists in 1990, turned a former death strip barrier into a monument to the fall of the Wall and German reunification.
Highlights
- Dmitri Vrubel's "Fraternal Kiss" mural of Brezhnev and Honecker
- 1.3 kilometers of continuous Wall segments painted by 118 international artists
- Views along the Spree river and toward the Oberbaumbrücke bridge
- 2009-2010 restoration in which original artists repainted their 1990 works
- Official protected monument status under the Berlin Wall Foundation
Tips for visiting
- The gallery is outdoors, free, and open at all hours
- Walk the full stretch from the Ostbahnhof end toward the Oberbaumbrücke for the best sequence of murals
- Visit on a weekday morning to photograph the murals without heavy foot traffic
- The Oberbaumbrücke bridge offers a good vantage point over the gallery and the Spree
- Some murals nearer the middle of the stretch have suffered graffiti damage over newer paint; the restored sections nearer the ends are best preserved
Frequently asked questions
Is the East Side Gallery free to visit?
Yes, it is an outdoor public walkway with no admission charge, open at any time.
How long does it take to see the whole gallery?
Walking the full 1.3-kilometer stretch and viewing the murals takes about 45 minutes to an hour.
Is it suitable to visit with children?
Yes, it is an easy, flat outdoor walk suitable for families and strollers.
Are the original 1990 murals still there?
The murals were repainted by most of the original artists during a 2009-2010 restoration, so what visitors see today largely reproduces the 1990 designs on refurbished concrete panels.