To mark this historic occasion, the German Embassy in London is hosting a series of events in London at Leake Street Arches, the renowned hub for street art in the heart of London (Waterloo). These include the unveiling of a striking mural celebrating the Fall of the Berlin Wall and connecting with the Wall's legacy as a huge canvas for some of the world’s most iconic street art.

The history of Berlin and the Berlin Wall is inextricably linked with the rise of street art and graffiti in Germany, from the first works of street art to the East Side Gallery. From the mid-1970s, the Berlin Wall was repeatedly sprayed with political graffiti, initially mainly by political activists in West Berlin. Over the years, an active street art culture developed, which, in addition to political messages, increasingly brought doodles and eventually artworks to the Berlin Wall.

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The German Embassy London commissioned London-based street artist Jake Attewell/ The Abstract Mural Company following a public call to create a mural in the Leake Street Arches, which captures the connection between the history of street art on the Berlin Wall and its significance as a form of expression and means of social change in Germany at the time, as well as the significance and impact of art and artistic activity today. With a nod to the Leake Street Arches community, the mural which is on view now in the Leake Street Arches now celebrates the transformative power of visual art and the ability of citizens to engage in a creative and peaceful way.

A second mural, presented by the Embassy in partnership with the London Mural Festival and designed by Italian-born street artist Renato Hunto, is on display on the Embassy building in Belgravia as part of the London Mural Festival.