What's (in) the Picture?

Chris Breebaart Photography – finding stories

Posts tagged ‘Berlin wAll’

Reichstag Berlin: Dem Deutsche Volke

The front view of the Reichstag building in Berlin, showcasing its grand architecture and flags, with cloudy skies in the background.

The front of the Reichstag. A visit was on the top of my list. In 1989 the Berlin Wall was right next to the building; and since 1989 this area was completely developed. So we booked a visit to the dome. On this photo I left the dome out consciously. I wanted to have an image like the building looked in November 1989 below.

Black and white photograph of the Reichstag building in Berlin, taken in November 1989, featuring two men in the foreground, one holding a sign that reads 'Berlin ist Freiheit'.
Germany, Berlin – November 1989

The history of the Reichstag is connected to my hometown and Leiden. In 1933 Marinus van der Lubbe was accused, tried and sentenced by the Nazi-regime for setting fire to the building. He was born in Leiden en lived in Oegstgeest, as did his family.

About the B4 retouch series:
I browsed my archive for pictures to publish. Some of them are partly retouched but most do have scratches, dust and stains.

Shot with iPhone 15 Pro Max edited using Snapseed and Marksta. Click the picture for a larger version. The monochrome photo of 1989 was shot with Nikon F301 on Kodak TriX.

Berlin: Charlie left in November 1989

Black and white photograph of Checkpoint Charlie in Berlin, featuring a crowd of people walking past a historic guard booth and a large image of a soldier on a building.
A black and white photograph of Checkpoint Charlie in Berlin, featuring a large portrait of a soldier on a billboard. The scene includes people walking and a McDonald's in the background.
Germany, Berlin – September 2025

Checkpoint Charlie, symbol of the cold war.

Shot with Nikon Zf, edited using Snapseed and Marksta. Click the picture for a larger version

Both Sides Of History – Berlin Brandenburger Tor

A black and white photo of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, framed by trees and streetlamps, with people walking beneath the iconic structure.
The Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, surrounded by a section of the Berlin Wall covered in graffiti, with people and barriers in the foreground.
Black and white photograph of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, featuring a stop sign in the foreground and a foggy atmosphere.
A black and white photograph of a soldier standing on a stone wall near columns, with graffiti visible in the foreground, conveying a sense of historical significance.
Black and white image of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, with a crowd of people gathered in front and historical architecture surrounding it.
Black and white photograph of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, featuring a crowd of people walking through and around the iconic structure on a cloudy day.
Germany, Berlin – September 2025

Brandenburger Gate (Brandenburger Tor) in Berlin was an iconic point at the time of the Berlin Wall (Berliner Mauer). The gate then stood in no mans land, and showed the alienating effects of division through the city. Now the Brandenburger Gate is a symbol of unity of Berlin. It was a pleasure to walk through the gates, and enjoy the people and streets around it. And the see the gate back at its splendor.

About the B4 retouch series:
I browsed my archive for pictures to publish. Some of them are partly retouched but most do have scratches, dust and stains.

The monochrome set of 1989 was shot with Nikon F301 on Kodak TriX. The colorfilm was Fuji, and shot on Pentax Espio 115M. 2025 photos shot with iPhone 15 Pro Max edited using Snapseed and Marksta. Click the pictures for a larger version.

East and West Border at Moltkebrücke in November 1989

Germany, Berlin – November 1989

The view on the Moltkebrücke over the river Spree on an Autumn morning in November 1989. The world was waiting for the Berlin Wall to open formally. Further upstream the Spree was part of the border between East and West. We are walking towards the transitpoint for foreigners in the Invalidenstrasse (link to interactive map of the former Berlin Wall) to enter East Berlin.

About the B4 retouch series:
I browsed my archive for pictures to publish. Some of them are partly retouched but most do have scratches, dust and stains.

Originally shot with Nikon F301 on Kodak TriX, scanned from negative and tweaked using Snapseed and Marksta. Click the picture for a larger version.