Wall on Wall
Photographer Kai Wiedenhöfer has documented the walls that divide nations, religions and political systems all over the world. Now his works are being exhibited on the longest remaining stretch of the Berlin Wall.
Life behind the Wall
The fall of the Berlin Wall on November 9, 1989, was a watershed moment in world history. It marked the end of the Cold War and division of Europe. But, whether according to nationality, religious or political beliefs, to this day walls continue to divide people around the world. Photographer Kai Wiedenhöfer documented eight of them, from Baghdad to Belfast.
The walls of Baghdad
Snaking through the streets of Baghdad, the over three-meter-high (about 10 feet) wall that divides Sunnis and Shiites is not the only barrier in the Iraqi capital. Another imposing wall surrounds the government district. It is there for security purposes, but many Iraqis reject it. For them, the sight of wall is just another reminder of the fall of Iraqi society.
Between North and South Korea
The wall in Panmunjom may only be a few centimeters tall but it's almost impossible to overcome. It marks the border between the two Korean states. Communist North Korea is one of poorest nations in the world. Democratic South Korea is a highly developed industrial state. The border zone, around 250 kilometers (155 miles) long, not only divides two systems of government, but also many families.
The divided Middle East
For 10 years now, Israel has been building a 700-kilometer-long, eight-meter-high wall to mark the border with the West Bank. For Israelis, the wall is there to offer protection from attacks. But it makes life tough for Palestinians. The international community has condemned the wall as a further hindrance on the road to peace in the Middle East.
Between the EU and Africa
The fence marking the border between the European Union and African soil is six meters tall. It divides the Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla from Morocco and with that, above all, two very different standards of living. The barrier hasn't deterred many refugees from risking the journey to Europe. Many people continue to die while attempting to cross the border.
A relic of conflict in Northern Ireland
Since the beginning of the Troubles in Northern Ireland, seven-meter-tall walls, the so-called peace lines, divided the city of Belfast. The conflict officially ended with the Belfast Agreement in 1998 though religious tensions between Catholics and Protestants remain. The peace lines are now somewhat of a tourist attraction in the city.
Dividing the USA and Mexico
The US may still be known to some as the "Land of the Free" but the border with Mexico remains heavily guarded. The so-called "Tortilla Wall" is supposed to stop illegal immigrants entering the country from Mexico and deter drug trafficking. Around 500 people die each year while attempting to cross the border. Hundreds of thousands of people, do, however, make it through.
Cyprus, an island divided
The wall that cuts across the capital Nicosia makes Cyprus the last divided nation in Europe. Since 1974, the wall separates the Greek part of the island from the Turkish north. Since 2003 it has been possible for residents to in both territories to visit the other. The open air exhibition "Wall on Wall" on the longest remaining section of the Berlin Wall runs through September 13, 2013.