The Berlin Wall, a divided world: the exhibition at the Cité de l'Architecture et du Patrimoine, our photos

Erected in 1961, the Berlin Wall was demolished on November 9, 1989, after 28 years of deep divisions. A symbol of the Cold War and global ideological conflict, the Berlin Wall is the theme chosen by the Cité de l'architecture et du patrimoine in Paris for its new temporary exhibition.

On view from May 14 to September 28, 2025, " The Berlin Wall. A world divided " takes visitors back to an era that had a profound impact on many Germans. For 28 long years, the people of Berlin were caught between two opposing ideologies. To the west was the capitalism of the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG). To the east? Communism in the German Democratic Republic (GDR). Two worlds at opposite ends of the spectrum, divided by a 155 km wall, 43 km of which split Berlin in two.

This unique exhibition at the Cité de l'architecture et du patrimoine features an original fragment of the Berlin Wall. Over 10 meters long, it is installed outside, in front of the museum. The cultural venue is also exhibiting over 200 artifacts, billed as"authentic", from more than 40 international institutions.

• To be read
• What to Do in Paris This Week, March 16–22, 2026: Your Guide to the City’s Events
• Manga at the Guimet Museum: Exclusive evening openings before the exhibition closes
• Disco, I'm Coming Out: the festive and militant exhibition at the Philharmonie de Paris, our photos

Through a series of objects, photos and videos, as well as personal accounts from this period and more recent ones, the Cité de l'architecture et du patrimoine presents the daily lives of Berliners and their strategies for surviving, resisting or circumventing the separation imposed by this wall.

For the occasion, the museum has devised a tour of four themed areas, spread over two levels. The geopolitical context of post-war Europe and the arms race, the growing tensions that led to the building of the Wall, the personal stories and daily lives of Berliners during this period, the end of the Cold War and the fall of the Wall... " The Berlin Wall. A World Divided " examines the impact of this separation on contemporary history, while reminding us of the fragility of the universal values of democracy and freedom.

Rich, diverse and well-documented, this is the kind of exhibition where you need to take your time, read all the labels and watch the videos projected for the occasion, to immerse yourself in this traumatic era for many Berliners. So if you're in a hurry, don't bother.

" The Berlin Wall. A World Divided " looks back at the Berlin Blockade, anti-Communist propaganda in West Berlin, the installation of a barbed-wire fence by East German forces around West Berlin on August 13, 1961, and escape attempts to the West. We learn that over 5,000 GDR residents managed to cross the wall separating them from West Berlin. But thousands more failed, and the wall claimed 140 victims (fugitives mortally wounded during their escape, people shot at the wall, East German border guards shot dead on duty...). The exhibition also reveals that 745 tunnels were dug under Berlin between 1961 and 1973, but only 18 of them allowed people to cross into West Berlin. The hiding places used to try to cross from East to West are also evoked (cable drums or papier-mâché cows transported by truck).

The exhibition closes with an excerpt from a press conference given on November 9, 1989 by Günter Schabowski, spokesman for the GDR government, considered to be the man who precipitated the fall of the Berlin Wall.

In short, this is an exhibition that should be of interest to history buffs. But not only. For " The Berlin Wall. A world divided " also makes us reflect on the current geopolitical situation in Europe and the rest of the world, and reminds us of the dangers of the nuclear arms race.