The end of the Cold War was a greatly victorious one– not just for America, but also for the rest of the world. Although USAenjoyed an ideological victory that affirmed the principles of democracy andWilsonian Liberalism, foundations upon which the country was built, the end ofthe Cold War, more importantly, represented a moment of great optimism andpivotal change in world history and international relations. The Cold War’s endwas unexpected, and it causes were much contested, but it is certainly a momentworth commemorating and remembering through a public monument.
Prior to 1989, USA and the Soviet Union had beenembroiled in almost four decades of prolonged tensions and hostilities. Thiscaused the partitioning of Europe into East and West, and eventually extendedto the rest of the world in the global US-Soviet competition for Cold Warmilitary, political and economic advantages. While celebrating the end of theCold War, this memorial functions as reminder of the multi-faceted US-Sovietconflict that divided the world precariously into two opposing camps – a volatilepolitical state, which led indirectly to the outbreak of various hot wars inKorea, Vietnam and Africa, and must never be allowed to take root again.
The two tall concrete walls, flanking the two sidesof a dark reflective pool in the shape of the North Atlantic Ocean, symbolizesthe two camps of the Cold War. From ground level on either side (image 1), thewall appears to be continuous and solid. However, when one approaches the wallor views the memorial from a side angle (image 2), one would discover that theoptical illusion of two solid walls is actually created by fragmented concreteblocks. This represents the political fissures within each of the two Cold Warcamps that made the situation so volatile and created the potential for theescalation of Cold War hostilities. The intense ideological-politicalantagonism of the Cold War is emphasized by the fact that viewers are able towalk between the tall concrete blocks on either side, but they are physicallyunable to cross over the pool to the other side. Every singular block represents a country that wasinvolved in or affected by the Cold War. The blocks’ length represents therelative geographical size of the country (scale of 1 to 6), while the blocks’width represents the degree to which the country was involved in or affected bythe Cold War (scale of 1 to 5).
The eventual convergence of the two sides into afluid streamline represents the remarkable convergence of the East and Westthat led to the end of the Cold War. The end of the Cold War was such avictorious and optimistic moment in world history because, two superpowers whohave been at odds with each other for almost four decades, were able to putaside their differences in the interest of greater international issues, suchas nuclear disarmament, environmental damage and world peace. Regardless of thecomplexity of causal factors, when the Berlin wall fell and the countries of EasternEurope were finally allowed to embrace the Sinatra Doctrine and “go their ownway”, it represented the victory of no single country, but the triumph offreedom and democracy itself. In face of the profusion of various fragmentedglobal conflicts today, there is no better moment than now to remember theinternational spirit that united the world and ended the Cold War.
Prior to 1989, USA and the Soviet Union had beenembroiled in almost four decades of prolonged tensions and hostilities. Thiscaused the partitioning of Europe into East and West, and eventually extendedto the rest of the world in the global US-Soviet competition for Cold Warmilitary, political and economic advantages. While celebrating the end of theCold War, this memorial functions as reminder of the multi-faceted US-Sovietconflict that divided the world precariously into two opposing camps – a volatilepolitical state, which led indirectly to the outbreak of various hot wars inKorea, Vietnam and Africa, and must never be allowed to take root again.
The two tall concrete walls, flanking the two sidesof a dark reflective pool in the shape of the North Atlantic Ocean, symbolizesthe two camps of the Cold War. From ground level on either side (image 1), thewall appears to be continuous and solid. However, when one approaches the wallor views the memorial from a side angle (image 2), one would discover that theoptical illusion of two solid walls is actually created by fragmented concreteblocks. This represents the political fissures within each of the two Cold Warcamps that made the situation so volatile and created the potential for theescalation of Cold War hostilities. The intense ideological-politicalantagonism of the Cold War is emphasized by the fact that viewers are able towalk between the tall concrete blocks on either side, but they are physicallyunable to cross over the pool to the other side. Every singular block represents a country that wasinvolved in or affected by the Cold War. The blocks’ length represents therelative geographical size of the country (scale of 1 to 6), while the blocks’width represents the degree to which the country was involved in or affected bythe Cold War (scale of 1 to 5).
The eventual convergence of the two sides into afluid streamline represents the remarkable convergence of the East and Westthat led to the end of the Cold War. The end of the Cold War was such avictorious and optimistic moment in world history because, two superpowers whohave been at odds with each other for almost four decades, were able to putaside their differences in the interest of greater international issues, suchas nuclear disarmament, environmental damage and world peace. Regardless of thecomplexity of causal factors, when the Berlin wall fell and the countries of EasternEurope were finally allowed to embrace the Sinatra Doctrine and “go their ownway”, it represented the victory of no single country, but the triumph offreedom and democracy itself. In face of the profusion of various fragmentedglobal conflicts today, there is no better moment than now to remember theinternational spirit that united the world and ended the Cold War.
