Window of Remembrance

The Window of Remembrance is dedicated to the 140 people who are known to have died at the Wall. They were either killed at the Wall or lost their lives in connection with the East German border regime between 1961 and 1989. The Window of Remembrance shows photographs of the victims and is arranged by year. Unfortunately, photos do not exist for all the victims, which is why these spaces are white. A few of the niches have been left empty intentionally in case more victims are identified in the future. 

Of the 140 people who died, 101 were trying to flee to West Berlin. Thirty-one victims from both the East and the West had no intention of fleeing. They were often mistaken for refugees or died in an accident. Among them were five children from the Kreuzberg district of West Berlin who drowned in the Spree. They had been playing on the west side when they fell into the border waters and could not be rescued

Eight East German border soldiers who died while on duty at the Berlin Wall are also among the victims. Their names and photographs are not included in the Window of Remembrance, however. This was a controversial decision that was heavily discussed during the planning of the memorial. It was argued that border soldiers should not be remembered alongside the victims of the dictatorship. Instead, they are commemorated separately on a nearby column.