A piece of the Berlin Wall

The Berlin Wall, a guarded concrete barrier, encircled West Berlin from 1961 to 1989. Its main purpose was to prevent East German citizens from fleeing to West Berlin. The Wall ceased to be a physical barrier in November 1989, from which time souvenir hunters chipped away at the graffiti covered concrete for their tiny trophies.

The official date of German Reunification was 3 October 1990. I was there, totally unprepared for the celebrations. It was wild! I was present for a most important historical event.

My own personal celebration, also on that day, was meeting up with my cousin whom I only knew from photos after my family emigrated to Australia. He and I stayed close, visiting each other on opposite sides of the world whenever we could, until his death four years ago. 

Thanks for hosting Isbi. Rummaging through my drawers, I had forgotten I had this piece of wall. I had to buy it. Certificate of authenticity is the extra. Even on Reunification day the only alternative was to hire a hammer and chisel and DIY.