The record
Two sections in the peace museum's Cold War wing, shown with the pipe that ran along the top to defeat grappling hooks.
Two sections stand in the Cold War and peace wing that Jacques Chirac opened in 2002, in a room built around them with film and objects about life before and after the opening. The museum uses them to teach the structure rather than the symbolism: at the top of the 3.60 m element runs the smooth cement pipe, fitted so that a grappling hook or a pair of hands would find nothing to hold. Most records in this catalogue show the painted face; this one explains why the painted face was the only one anybody could reach.
How did it get here?
The museum also holds a small piece collected by a city team in 1989, the day after the border opened — among the earliest documented acquisitions in the catalogue.
Sources & verification
Berlin at the heart of the Cold War — Mémorial de Caen ↗
The museum's own account of the two sections, the 3.60 m height and the anti-climbing pipe.
Source accessed 2026-09-17
Federal Foundation — Berlin Wall worldwide ↗
The source lists this place as a Berlin Wall location. Coordinates, where supplied, are source-reported and may represent a general area. This is not independent verification of authenticity, current presence, or public access.
Source accessed 2026-09-17 · Source record 112
Last verified: Not yet verified
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