The Berlin wall and the Bastille: Tearing down walls and building myths

This article first discusses the construction, destruction and consumption of the Berlin Wall, noting especially the different meanings of Mauer (the wall as a barrier) and Wand (the surface of a wall). It then compares the end of the Wall with the storming of the Bastille and its transformation into symbolic souvenirs. The fall of the Berlin Wall entered collective memory through mass participation in its destruction, rock concerts held around it, graffiti art and the purchase of Wall fragments. However, sections of the Wall are now being preserved to prevent it from being forgotten by future generations.