German Club members Rachel Ernst ’16, of New York City (left), and Sarah Gorayeb ’15, of Morristown, N.J., read writing on a commemorative Berlin Wall.
A symbolic Berlin Wall, set up by the Colgate German Club in the foyer of Lawrence Hall, commemorates the 25th anniversary of the November 9, 1989, conclusion of the separation between East and West Berlin.
Spray-painted with the German words, Kein Ausgang, meaning no exit, and the opposition statement, Wir Sind Ein Volk, meaning, we are one people, students passing by the wall were welcomed to add their own graffiti, as was common on the west side of the actual barrier.
Simple statements of peace and phrases in German decorate the commemorative wall, along with a timely references to Internet censorship in China, written in Chinese with an English translation of “Destroy the GFW [Great firewall].”
“The wall coming down was such an important event, and it didn’t happen that long ago,” said German Club Co-President Sarah Gorayeb ‘15, of Morristown, N.J. “It’s something that still affects German society, and the world, today.”
Club Co-President Will Andrews ‘16, of Richmond, Va., said he hopes students passing by take a moment to reflect on the lasting global impact of the wall, and to consider it in context of current world events, as has been discussed in his Colgate introduction to German literature course.
A piece of the original Berlin Wall can be found on campus outside at 94 Broad Street.