1989-1993 Alter Potsdamer Platz – documentary photography: photo series and photo story, photos by Andreas Muhs

Alter Potsdamer Platz, Berlin-Mitte, 1989-1993, 46 photos, analogue

On the evening of November 9, 1989, the Wall fell. From November 11 to 12, I was in Berlin and let myself be swept away by the city's frenzy. These images marked the beginning of my ongoing fascination with a city where one can be as close to German history as anywhere else. It was here, at the latest, that I decided on documentary photography. Potsdamer Platz is a focal point between the two halves of the city and lies at the interface between two system blocs. On November 12, I was there when the first GDR citizens walked through the newly opened Wall. I remembered a previous visit to this place with my grandfather, even before 1976. From an observation deck on the Wall, he showed me the ruins of Haus Vaterland, which he had visited during the war. After arriving in Berlin in 1991, this place repeatedly drew me in. Suddenly, I discovered the old pavement at Leipziger Platz, its octagonal shape still recognizable. The ground, which had previously been carelessly walked over and had lain on the Wall strip for decades, was excavated to expose an access point to the S-Bahn. In the S-Bahn station, the ticket counters, which had been closed at the time of the Wall's construction, stood. When collaboration with the developer for the Debis area began in 1995, I was there when the foundations of the Pschorr-Haus were uncovered. Access to the basement, which also contained a large kitchen, was possible again. Besides shards with a swastika on the back, I also found beer bottles deformed by heat. I managed to save three bottles; they are still in my living room today.

Canon New F-1 / Leica M6