Berlin After the Wall: Decades After Its Fall, History Still Haunts

It is clear that there is still a high degree of social, political and cultural divergence that had emerged among individuals who were nominally residents of the same city.  The physical separation led way to genetic divergence and partition.  By separating the population, divergent experiences were created which in turn contributed to the formation of distinct socio-cultural groups, with the Wall acting as a screen obscuring the differences.  After the Wall these differences evolved into prejudices, creating the “Wall in the Head” among Berliners.  As seen with racism in the United States, only time and a conscious effort by Berlin residents will be able to reconcile with the prejudices held towards one another.  Until that day, the Wall will continue to loom, harassing residents in their day to day activities, whether they are aware of it or not.

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