We begin the first part of the exhibition with an original section of the Wall — a real attraction and a definite wow moment. But in fact, this room is primarily about the end of the Second World War, the atomic bombs dropped on Japan, and — together with the second room — the relief that the war was finally over. At the same time, however, the second room also addresses the fears that followed.

You see a soldier’s identity tag with the name of a child on it! And — something I genuinely did not know — around 2.5 million name tags were issued to children in the United States in case of a counterattack. It was the beginning of the Cold War, after all.

You can also examine a map showing what an atomic bomb strike on Barcelona would have meant. Where would one have survived?

The next section focuses on the division of Germany among the Allied powers, and on the partition of Berlin. Which parts of Germany came under Soviet control? And what was daily life like for the population in those first years after the war?

We see and hear family stories, and we come across sledges, bunk beds and mopeds. We learn how the children of Berlin still played football across the sectors and how everything was still open (in 1952). Until everything changed…

The year 1961 marked the beginning of dramatic change. Suddenly, barbed wire fencing was unrolled along the borders of the Soviet sector. This happened on a Sunday in August 1961. Overnight, people could no longer simply visit their sisters, parents or friends. The exhibition shows a speech by Kennedy and images of the famous moment when a soldier leapt into the West.

Then came the construction of the first Wall. Particular attention is given here to developments in Bernauer Strasse: how entire buildings became part of the border, how parents were unable to attend their children’s weddings, and other deeply moving individual stories.

Now we learn more about the construction of the Wall. We see its course and, using a model, how the Wall was actually built. Who worked there, which rules had to be followed by those living directly alongside it, and then — the Wall itself! This time several sections are displayed side by side, making its sheer scale and impact truly striking.

The focus then shifts back to the people. What did the soldiers and helpers at the wall have to do, what were they forced to do? How many died there? What escape plans were devised? Hiding places in cars, tunnels, and much more are discussed.

At the end, the focus is naturally on the fall of the Wall. We see Hans-Dietrich Genscher’s speech from the balcony of the West German Embassy in Prague.

Also on display: Günter Schabowski’s press conference on 9 November 1989 (“As far as I know, this comes into effect immediately…”), how people took the announcement of immediate travel literally, and, ultimately, how people celebrated by dancing on the Wall itself…