History-lovers will be interested to learn that parts of the Berlin Wall will be auctioned in March in West Sussex, England. Six complete sections of the German wall will be available to buy in two lots at Summers Place Auctions, and they feature messages painted by the artist and environmental activist, Ben Wagin, in 1990 after visitors removed the original graffiti.
‘Parliament of Trees’ was designed by artist Ben Wagin in 1990 as a memorial site for those who died at the Berlin Wall. Image: Bernd von Jutrczenka/Picture Alliance via Getty Images
The auction is taking place as the 30th anniversary of the day the wall fell in November 1989 approaches, symbolising the end of the Cold War and the re-unification of Germany after border controls between the east and west of the country were lifted. There are two lots, and the larger one, made up of four sections of the wall, is expected to sell for between €11,000 and €13,000 ($12,546 and $14,827). The smaller lot contains two sections that could achieve a price of between €4400 and €6600 ($5018 and $7527).
Sections of the Berlin Wall for sale have been part of a memorial garden called the Parliament of Trees in Berlin. Image: Bernd von Jutrczenka/Picture Alliance via Getty Images
The wall was built in sections that are 3.6 metres-tall and 1.2 metres-wide. The sections for sale have until recently been part of a memorial garden called the Parliament of Trees in Berlin. They were placed there to honour the lives of the 258 people killed at the wall trying to escape to freedom, but parts of the commemorative structure have had to be removed to make room for the Marie-Elisabeth Lüders Haus, one of the city’s new parliamentary buildings.
Six sections of the Berlin Wall, which featured in ‘Parliament of Trees’ are now for sale. Image: Bernd von Jutrczenka/Picture Alliance via Getty Images
Auctioneer James Rylands believes that the sections of the wall up for sale would look great in a public garden or museum, as well as in a private home. “It is a great architectural and artistic statement, but also a symbol of the triumph of freedom over tyranny,” he says. For further information, see Summer Palace Auctions’ website here.
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