In 1999, local historian Christian Bormann found something that wasn’t supposed to be lost. Nine years after demolition began, he found a piece of the Berlin Wall, somehow forgotten in the woods between a train station and a supermarket.
More than 80 meters of the original Berlin Wall, built in 1961, are standing there, some with V-shaped brackets that once had barbed wire. It’s hard to believe that something of this historical importance was lost, so we went there to see it with our own eyes.
In the video below, you can see how it used to look like before.
Back From the Brink: The Story of the Recently Discovered Berlin Wal
At the end of January 2018, early Sunday morning, we went to Berlin Schönholz to see what was happening with this newly found original Berlin Wall in the news. According to what we read, Christian Bormann found this piece of the Berlin Wall back in 1999, but he couldn’t prove what it was.
After a few years, his research led him to believe this was an original piece of the Berlin Wall. Somehow, it was forgotten in the woods, and nobody tore it down in 1989.
Christian Bormann only went public with his discovery after noticing the increase in damage to the site. There is a lot of graffiti everywhere, and it seems like a storm sent some trees through the wall not long ago. Loose bricks are everywhere, and they need protection from the elements. This structure is of outstanding cultural importance, and authorities must be responsible and take care of it. And we couldn’t agree more with him.
Our visit to the newly found original Berlin Wall in Schönholz
You might wonder how a piece of the original Berlin Wall could be lost in the German capital. We asked about it, too. We asked even more questions when we found out where this relic was. When you know where to look, this piece of the Berlin Wall is right before you.
We couldn’t believe you could see it from the S-Banh Schönholz. We were there before when we went to the Soviet Memorial in Schönholzer Heide, and we had never imagined what those bricks were on the other side of the train tracks.
This section, discovered by Christian Bormann, is one of the oldest pieces of the Berlin Wall ever seen. It dates back to 1961 when East Germany surprised Berlin with bricks and barbed wire and built a wall dividing the city. This wall lasted from 1961 to 1989, and it still scars the town.
But, without the barbed wire on top and the watchtowers, it just looks like a forgotten wall hidden in the woods. Something that can be seen everywhere in Berlin since the bombing of the city in the Second World War.
The Secret Wall: Exploring a Hidden Relic of the Cold War
Today, it is important for those who care about historical facts and the Berlin Wall. Today marks the day the Berlin Wall has been down as long as it was up. It was built in 1961 and stood for 18 years, two months and 26 days. To be precise, the Berlin Wall existed for 10316 days. And it has been precisely the same amount of time since it fell. We decided to publish this article to celebrate this critical moment.
It seems unlikely that any other part of the original Berlin Wall will be found. So, Christian Bormann’s discovery is essential, and we will watch the news to see if local authorities do anything with it.
If you want to see this forgotten piece of the Berlin Wall, you must take a train to S-Banh Schönholz and look to the other side of the train tracks. The wall is there, right in front of your eyes.
Take pictures, but don’t take anything else. This is a historical place and should be treated with respect.
Rediscovering the Berlin Wall: A Local Historian’s Unexpected Find
Quick Update: Our friend Rodrigo, from Canal Alemanizando, went to see the original Berlin Wall in Schonholz earlier today, and there are fences surrounding the entire wall. We’re not 100% sure if it’s worth going all the way there to see this wall behind fences. But it’s up to you.
