The split between East and West manifested itself not just in economic differences, but in cultural separation as well. To a large extent cut off from the West and its artistic, philosophical and literary movements, the cultural history of East Germany was tied up with revolutionary politics and the battle for freedom of expression.

Working within a system where it was illegal to indulge in 'decadent' Western art, any artistic or cultural output was forced to be pro-Communist. Before reunification, being an artist in East Germany could be a difficult occupation. Many artists and writers, such as Wolf Biermann, Stefan Heym and Stephan Hermlin, were expelled for criticising the regime.

But that did not stop creative output. East German painter Polke is considered one of the most important figures in post-war German art. He first became noticed in 1963 when, with fellow artist Gerhard Richter, he placed himself amongst the furniture on display in the window of a department store as part of the exhibition Capital Realism.

When the Berlin Wall was being pulled down, many artists came together to paint a section of it at Mühlenstraße. This is now called the East Side Gallery and stretches over a mile. Approximately 106 paintings by artists from all over the world cover this memorial for freedom and make it the largest open air gallery in the world.