Berlin Wall Monument (Chicago)
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The Berlin Wall Monument in Chicago, exhibiting the side originally facing West Germany
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| Coordinates | Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. |
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| Location | Lincoln Square, Chicago |
| Type | Wall fragment |
| Material | Concrete |
The Berlin Wall Monument in Chicago is an exhibit on display at the Western Brown Line CTA station. The monument contains a large segment of the Berlin Wall and a plaque describing its dedication to the city.
History
Since the fall of the Berlin Wall on 9 November 1989, fragments of the Berlin Wall have been donated to various cities in the world. Chicago was offered a piece of the wall in 2008 by the German government[1][2] and was placed in the Lincoln Square neighborhood due to its German roots.[2] The particular segment of the wall donated came from the fourth phase of the Berlin Wall's construction,[3] called Grenzmauer 75. The dedication was attended by 120 residents and included several prominent individuals such as Erich Himmel of United German American Societies of Greater Chicago, Alderman Gene Schulter, Chicago Transit Authority President Ron Huberman, and the U.S. diplomat and chargé d’affaires to Germany, James D. Bindenagel.[4]
Description
The wall segment is visible on both sides. The side that originally faced West Germany contains sprayed graffiti and messages from the time the wall was standing;[5] the side that faced East Germany, on the other hand, is entirely blank.[2]
The monument also contains a plaque describing the dedication and reasoning behind why the wall fragment was donated. The inscription reads:
- "Segment of the Berlin Wall (1961 - 1989) dedicated by the City of Berlin to the citizens of Chicago as an expression of its gratitude for the invaluable assistance rendered by the United States of America in securing the safety and freedom of Berlin, in bringing down the Wall, and in supporting reunification of Germany and Berlin."
The inscription contains affirmations of acceptance from many representative individuals and businesses of both Chicago and Germany at the time including Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley, Mayor of Berlin Klaus Wowereit, German Consul General Wolfgang Droutz, Lufthansa, and the Chicago Transit Authority.
References
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