THE WALL
Special Edition of the BILD illustrated book, 550 copies only!
Berlin – This book is a historical witness, documenting
the most barbarous border
in history. It is evidence of
freedom’s final victory.
August 13, 2009 was the 48th
anniversary of the construction
of the Berlin Wall. Moreover,
later in autumn, the fall of this
reproachable rampart has its
20th anniversary on November 9. In 1989 the Wall collapsed thanks to the peaceful demonstrations of the people in
East Germany.
To commemorate this historical anniversary BILD publishes a unique illustrated book
(German/English): ”Die Mauer. The Wall. 1961-1992“
With a foreword
by Helmut Kohl
Helmut Kohl, born in
1930, was chancellor
of the Federal Republic of Germany from
1982 to 1998. He
played the leading
role in Germany‘s reunification, which
took place on 3 October 1990. He is also
regarded as a great
European, having pushed ahead with expanding the European Community to a
political union with a
common currency during his time in office.
Helmut Kohl now lives
in Ludwigshafen and
Berlin.
Out of nearly 120,000 photos
the editors chose 119 pictures,
some of them unknown.
The preface to this book was
written by Helmut Kohl, the
chancellor of unification. He
recalls these days in November
1989 and how they shook the
world: ”Twenty years ago, the
Berlin Wall came down peacefully – without a single shot
being fired and without the
use of violence. Every year
anew, the day on which the
Berlin Wall fell is always a
very special day of joyful recollections for me. This book
shows what the Berlin Wall
was like, with all its horrors.
We must never forget it.“
In four chapters this illustrated book gives evidence
of everyday-life in Berlin during wall times. It shows how
the construction of the Wall
shocked the people as well as
how people suffering tried to
flee. It gives an impression
of life with the Wall, alongside barbed wire, watchtowers, floodlights, military patrols. It documents the
fall of the Wall, shows the
overwhelming happiness of
the deeply moved people,
when pouring through the
opened border checkpoints
into West Berlin. This night
reunified Germany came into being.
b 27 August 1962
The last few yards of free Berlin. A boy admires a police officer on the West side at
Checkpoint Charlie.
c 11 November 1989
Walking free, full of the untamed joy of life. Three East Berliners running across an
open border crossing to the West. These few steps would have killed them only 48
hours previously.
Edited by
Kai Diekmann
Kai Diekmann, born
in 1964, has been
editor-in-chief of the
BILD newspaper since 2001. He lives in
Potsdam.
c 1979
Carefree children in the shadow of
the deadly border. Two young Berliners playing football on the street.
b November 1961
One cement block at a time,
the inhumane border grows.
Builders putting up the Berlin
Wall on Zimmerstraße.
This book is published in a limited edition of 550 numbered copies – at the
price of 1989,– Euros (shipping not included)!
Each copy is accompanied by an original piece of the Berlin Wall in 19 x 29 x 3 cm format. Paint or
paint traces on the pieces are original.
a Together,
the illustrated book
and original piece of
the Berlin
Wall weigh
15 kg.
a „Die Mauer. The
Wall. Fotografien
1961-1992“ with 256
pages is published
by Fackelträger
Verlag.
a Each set
comes in
a case of
black linen
interior.