Sunday I was briefly surfing the internet when I came across a photo in one of the Berlin groups I follow on Facebook. I've reprinted it above, along with a shot I had taken earlier - the location is an observation platform that was built in the Neukolln District of Berlin.
At first glance, I thought someone had taken an old photo of mine and made it into a black and white shot. However, the person who posted this one (they did not know who the photographer was) mentioned the date as 1986. My photo was taken in 1984 during my "Bowie Quest" outing - I've posted on the events of that day a few times, including here and here, or you can click the label below for more info on the quest.
It is fascinating to compare the two photos and consider the changes that had taken place, visible on the East Berlin side, over those two years. First, there is the guard tower that had been constructed, then the tank traps and barricades had been removed, and finally, the old advertisement on the side of the nearest building was painted over. Even so, it looks like most of the graffiti was left unchanged!
I never made it back to that section of the Wall during my time remaining in Berlin - I left in April 1986 - so I didn't get to check out the changes personally. However, this internet thing is catching on - who knows when something from your past is going to show up and enlighten you.
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