The Berlin Wall in the Netherlands?
What’s the message of the Berlin Wall today? Journalist Willem Plet and his Wallbreakers group have shipped pieces of the former wall here to have them exhibited in several spots around the country. He is following the example of the skippers who in 1987 sailed the DDR corridor all the way to Berlin with a message of peace and freedom.
By Anne Brugts, content manager Story Terrace 
About a year ago, Willem happened to hear that a German businessman was selling pieces of the former Berlin Wall to artists. The businessman had amassed quite a collection of debris from the wall on his land, and was trying to find a use for it. Along with several international artists, Willem applied to buy a few pieces and his request was granted. He was given permission to transport them to the Netherlands.
Journey for Freedom and Peace
Buying the pieces of wall was a perfect opportunity for Willem to realise an idea that had been in his mind for a long time. Among the sailing community in which he was an active member, an epic story had been circulating for years. This was the tale of the skippers who in 1987 travelled by ship to Berlin to spread the message of freedom and peace. ‘To me that was was a beautiful story. The idea of the innocent, traditional ships sailing through torn-apart Germany to Berlin – that really appealed to my imagination.’
photo: Stichting Muurbrekers
The ships came on the invitation of West Berlin. ‘To celebrate the 750th anniversary of the city of Berlin, the western part wanted to organise a grand festivity on water. They thought the Dutch ships would make a nice contribution to this festive parade.’
Diplomatic Plaything
Officials from East Berlin, who had been watching the other side with suspicion, got wind of the planned festivities and decided not to sit back. ‘East Berlin, as well, would have its own party. They did their utmost to convince the skippers to sail to their part of town and bypass the west.’
A journey that was supposed to be a symbol of peace brought about a division in its own right. ‘The skippers became playthings in the diplomats’ game on both sides. West and East tried to play each other in a battle to make the skippers choose sides, for instance by sending out fake telegrams. Eventually, the majority of the ships sailed to join the West-Berlin festivities; but a few travelled past to dock in East Berlin.
Photo: Stichting Muurbrekers
Representatives of the Dutch media, who were lured to East Berlin and encountered only a small part of the Dutch fleet on that side, labelled the Dutch initiative as a failure. Willem sees it differently, though: ‘Even though the plans turned out very differently than intended, the message was spread nonetheless. While the ships made their way through the heavily guarded DDR corridor to Berlin, and despite being regularly threatened by DDR officials, they did manage to reach isolated East German people to speak to them in person and hand over Western goods such as oranges and candies.’
Breaking Walls in the Year 2014
Following the sailors’ example, the Wallbreakers made their way to and from Berlin by ship. The journey was quite different from that in 1987, though. ‘It was somewhat less epic than sailing through the totalitarian state of the 1980s. But it felt very special indeed to freely transport something that used to be a symbol of suppression.’
The message of the Wallbreakers remains the same as that of the skippers in 1987. ‘Within Europe, there’s no need any more to break down existing walls, but there are still borders. We’ve moved those to outside of Europe and we tend to keep them firmly closed. Worldwide, walls are erected to keep others out, for example the wall between Mexico and the US. We want to celebrate freedom and cultivate consciousness about lack of freedom. After November 9, we’ll continue organising events to raise people’s awareness about global borders.’
A Four Thousand Kilogram Piece of Wall
Wallbreakers approaching the Reichstag Berlin
Firstly, the 25-year anniversary of the fall of the Wall needs to be properly celebrated. Coming up to November 9, it’s rush hour for Willem. ‘The Wallbreakers project gets a lot of media attention within the Netherlands and various media outlets are interested in our story. A few days ago, there was an item about us on RTL4 (a Dutch national television network, ed.).’
The Wallbreakers have yet to fulfil the last stage of their project. ‘On November 9, the last piece of wall will arrive in Amsterdam. The 4000kg colossus will be placed, with the help of an enormous crane, in front of the Amsterdam nightclub De Melkweg. On this location the Festiwall event will take place.’
The other parts will be exhibited in the Dutch city Arnhem, on the Dutch-German border close to the city of Heerlen, and in the city of Zierikzee. In Zierikzee, the piece of wall will stay in place for a month and various activities will be organised. The website www.wallbreakers.eu shows the full programme of events.
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This month we celebrate that 25 years ago the Berlin Wall came down. Also read our article A Museum for Freedom about the Mauer Museum in Berlin. What’s your memory of this historical fact?
