After the fall of the Berlin Wall, people from East and West came together to celebrate and actively participate in a historical event. As so-called wall woodpeckers, some of them broke pieces out of the wall with hammers and chisels. The pieces of the wall, often covered in colorful graffiti, were initially collected as personal memorabilia by Berliners and tourists. These pieces symbolized the overcoming of the border and the period of division as well as newfound freedom. A commercial market soon emerged.

Smaller pieces were sold in souvenir stores, at street stalls, and flea markets. They were often cut into small, manageable formats and presented in transparent packaging or as part of commemorative plaques. To ensure the authenticity of the wall pieces and increase their value, they were often provided with a certificate. Over time, a professional trade in these wall fragments developed. The demand for authentic pieces of the painted wall increased worldwide. In June 1990, the GDR’s foreign trade company Limex-Bau Export-Import initiated the first international auction of painted wall segments in Monaco. This was the first time that large sections of the Wall were sold at high prices. The painted segments of the wall found their way into museums, public places and private collections worldwide. To this day, they are traded as valuable historical artifacts.