Sections of the Berlin Wall set to go under the hammer
Sections of the infamous Berlin Wall are to come under the hammer at Summers Place Auctions on Tuesday, March 12.
2019 will see the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Wall and the end of the Cold War as we knew it then and it ultimately led to the reunification of Germany and the end of Communism in most of Eastern Europe.
The wall was built in sections, each 3.6 metres tall and 1.2 metres wide. The auction will include six complete sections of the Wall to be sold in two lots.
German artist and environmental activist Ben Wagin painted his powerful messages over these sections of the Wall in 1990 after initial visitors had chipped off the original graffiti - creating a uniquely textured surface.
The effect is as dramatic as it is powerful. These sections were part of the memorial to the 258 people killed at the Wall trying to escape to freedom, called the Parliament of Trees, in the middle of Berlin opposite the Reichstag.
These parts of the original memorial had to be removed to make room for additional constructions.
James Rylands says: “This is such a historic offering. These parts of the wall were safely preserved since 1990, and the two complete wall sections are now available for sale and would look great in a public garden or museum as well as in a private home. It is a great architectural and artistic statement, but also a symbol of the triumph of freedom over tyranny.”
This is a rare opportunity to buy a full-sized part of the wall and there are only 16 known ones in public places outside Berlin. The bigger section of the wall is covered with a quote by the German President at the time, Richard von Weizsäcker, who said: “To unite means to learn to share.” The reverse shows graffiti ‘Berlin November 1989’. It is estimated at £10,000-15,000, while the smaller section ‘Earth returns to Earth’ carries an estimate £4,000-6,000. Visit www .summersplaceauctions.com