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Between old microphones, photographs, and recording devices in the historical museum of Vatican Radio, within the Vatican Gardens, a piece of the Berlin Wall unexpectedly emerges. At first glance, this fragment seems out of place among the technical artifacts of broadcasting history. Yet, it serves as a powerful reminder of a time when Vatican Radio was far more than just a broadcaster from the Vatican for many people in the Eastern Bloc countries. Its programs reached individuals even where public information, religious life, and freedom of expression were restricted. Radio waves could not be stopped by borders or walls.
The Wall That Divided Two Worlds
From 1961 to 1989, the Berlin Wall physically separated West Germany (FRG) and communist East Germany (GDR) along the inner-German border. The wall fragment in the Vatican Radio museum symbolizes the crucial role the broadcaster played during the division of Germany and Europe: as a voice that could be heard even behind the Iron Curtain, connecting people separated from their families, their church, and the wider world.
Germany, after World War II, was initially divided into occupation zones. In 1949, two German states emerged: the Federal Republic of Germany in the West and the German Democratic Republic in the East. This created a border through the heart of Germany, separating the political systems of the Cold War. The Berlin Wall, initially a barbed-wire fence, divided the city from August 13, 1961, to November 9, 1989. It tore apart families, friendships, and lives, becoming a poignant symbol of the division of Germany and Europe during the Cold War. When the border opened in November 1989, it was a moment that continues to resonate with many people today. Nearly a year later, on October 3, 1990, German reunification was completed – a day now celebrated as Germany’s national holiday, German Unity Day.
Vatican Radio: A Beacon of Hope
In the Vatican Radio museum, the fragment tells the story of reunification in a unique way: it reminds us that German division was not merely a German experience. It shaped Europe and concerned the Church far beyond Berlin. For Vatican Radio, the fall of the Wall was a significant moment: for decades, editorial teams, especially in Central and Eastern European languages, had reached people with news, religious services, and the words of the Pope. A small piece of the Wall on the museum wall represents what radio can do: bridge distances, connect people, and make a voice heard even when borders make direct contact difficult.
A Second Fragment in the Vatican Gardens
Another piece of the Berlin Wall is located in the Vatican Gardens, along the Alley of Saint Benedict, the patron saint of Europe. Pope John Paul II received it from the Italian entrepreneur Marco Piccininni, who had acquired the segment at an auction in Monaco in June 1990. It was officially inaugurated in August 1994. This fragment also carries a special story. It once stood in front of St. Michael’s Church on the former Luisenstädtischer Kanal in Berlin. After the Wall was built, the church was in the eastern part of the city, and only its upper half could be seen from the West. In 1986, artist Yadegar Asisi painted the concealed lower half of the church onto the Wall, creating the illusion of a path leading to the church portal, even though the Wall actually blocked it. After the fall of the Wall, one of the painted segments was saved. Today, the depiction is still visible on the fragment in the Vatican Gardens. It was extensively restored in 2017.
Next to the Wall, a plaque commemorates words from the Polish Pope’s first address after his election, spoken on October 22, 1978: “Be not afraid! Open, indeed, throw wide the doors to Christ! Open the borders of states, economic and political systems. Be not afraid!” These words gained particular significance in the years that followed. John Paul II, who himself came from Poland, repeatedly advocated for people living under communist regimes. His pontificate became an important voice for freedom, human dignity, and religious self-determination.
While the wall fragment in the gardens stands as a visible sign of overcoming borders, the fragment at Vatican Radio points to the power of communication. Both belong to the same history and yet tell it differently.
More Than Just Concrete
For the series “What Remains?”, the wall fragment is therefore more than just a commemorative object. It shows that history does not only live on where it happened. It also remains present where people give it a new place, preserve it, and ask about its meaning for the present. What remains is not just concrete. It is the memory of what division means for people. And it is the task of not taking freedom, unity, and understanding for granted.
Source: https://www.vaticannews.va/de/vatikan/news/2026-10/was-bleibt-ein-stueck-berliner-mauer-im-vatikan.html
