The Wall

History is so easily forgotten and dismissed. Even the historical events occurring within our own lifetime. The Berlin Wall was built in 1961 and demolished from 1989 to 1992. While I was a toddler when the dismantling began, I associate the wall with a much different time period. Until recently, I also failed to fully comprehend the heart break, betrayal, and often times death associated with the division of East and West Berlin while the east was occupied by the Soviet Union.

We took the train out to the Berlin Wall Memorial and were able to walk through a free exhibition detailing its history and the lives of those affected by the division.

We arrived after dark. The shadows projected by the wall's remains created an ominous feeling as we walked along both sides. In the exhibition, we read stories of families and best friends who were eating together one day and hopelessly divided the next. A number of secret escape channels had been created for those in East Berlin to escape to the west, but often those participants were exposed and jailed, or sometimes worse. A number of people were shot trying to escape while their deaths were covered up for years. Family members sometimes didn't live long enough to hear the truth about what occurred to their loved ones. 

Forgetting how free we truly are in our everyday lives is easy to do. Visiting the memorial and seeing the stories, pictures, and videos of those who risked it all to escape or be with those they love serves as a powerful reminder. A reminder for us to never take life and our freedom for granted.