Berlin Wall Installments Along Chonggyechon

Berlin Wall Installments Along Chonggyechon

Sep 30, 2005

Art installments made from fragmented blocks of the Berlin Wall along with a blue statue of a bear, the animal symbolizing the German city, have found a place along the banks of Seoul's restored Chonggyechon stream.

The sculptures, including three pieces of the Berlin Wall and a blue bear statue, will be installed at a square in front of Samil Bridge, beside the Hanhwa building, near the city's newly restored downtown stream.

City officials said the German art installments epitomize the country's successful efforts towards reunification and celebrate the close ties between Korea and Germany.

The installments _ identically sized at 3.5 meters high, 1.2 meters wide and 40 centimeters thick _ were brought from Germany on Sept. 6.

One side of the blocks feature scribbling and graffiti by the citizens of West Berlin in the late 1980s, most of the messages written in hopes of reunification.

However, the other side of the walls, which faced the East Berlin part of the cities, is left clean as the East German army kept citizens from approaching the Berlin Wall back then.

The blue bear statue is covered with images of the Brandenburg Gate and the citizens of Berlin and Seoul mingled together in peaceful harmony.

On one side of the statue is a plated message by Berlin Mayor Klaus Wowereit, hoping for the peaceful reunification of the Korean Peninsula.

The 30-pyong (99-square-meter) square that houses the German art installments was designed by German architect Rolf Biser, who focused on authenticity by only using materials brought straight from his homeland in everything from the park benches to the sidewalk blocks.

The Berlin city government financed the whole project.