Long-term Cooperation Project of the Center for Contemporary History Potsdam (ZZF), the Federal Agency for Civic Education (Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung, bpb), German Radio (Deutschlandradio) and the Berlin Wall Foundation (Stiftung Berliner Mauer, since 2021)
Website project
Managing Editorial Board:
Project managers: Hanno Hochmuth, Leibniz Center for Contemporary History Potsdam (bis 2019 Hans-Hermann Hertle, ZZF);
Sabine Berthold/Thorsten Schilling, Federal Agency for Civic Education, Bonn; Boris Bittner/Egbert Meyer, German Radio (Deutschlandradio), Berlin/Köln
Editor: Sonja Hugi | English translation: Timothy Jones
The bilingual website is a long-term cooperation project of the Federal Center for Civic Education, the Center for Contemporary History Potsdam and German Radio (Deutschlandradio). On the basis of so far partially unpublished documents, film and sound material, photographs and interviews with main actors as well as own research, the dramatic events during the construction and fall of the Wall up to the political unification of Germany are reconstructed and illustrated as well as the most important stations of German division shown.
On a map, 24 places along the wall and the former death strip in and around Berlin can be steered. Comparative fotographs show how this places have changed since the fall of the Wall in November 1989.
In addition, worksheets are made available in order to make the contents of the page usable for school children.
In addition to the website, the cooperation partners, together with the company Exozet, offer the free app "The Berlin Wall": the most comprehensive multimedial presentation on the construction of the Wall in August 1961 and its fall in November 1989 for smartphones and the iPad.
The building of the Wall, its 28-year history and the fall of the Wall are documented at more than 130 locations (points of interest) with about 200 photos, 50 audios, 25 videos and numerous texts. The heart of the application is a map showing the former route of the Wall in Berlin with the “hinterland” Wall, border strip and so-called front barrier element.
In the mode “tours” you can explore the traces of the Wall in Berlin. The discoverer mode points to historical places in the immediate vicinity. The GPS function allows users to always know where they are and how they can get to the next historical site (train and subway stops are shown, as well as walking routes).
The app is simple, fast and intuitive to use. It is equally intended for adults and young people as well as tourists and locals.
The website www.chronik-der-mauer.de and the “Berlin Wall”-apps are constantly revised, updated and extended.
Awards:
WWW.CHRONIK-DER-MAUER.DE was honored with the "Politikaward" in 2011, the smartphone app in spring 2012 with the German educational media prize “digita” and in summer 2012 with the “Comenius-EduMedia signet”.
In 2016 the app won the "World Summit Award Germany 2016" in the category "Culture / Tourism". In the competition for the "World Summit Award Mobile 2016" - with which the world's best content and application offers are awarded - it reached the shortlist.
