Survey Says: Nearly 1 in 4 for Return of Berlin Wall

An incredible new survey, published in the Bild daily paper, has revealed that nearly one in four German residents "sometimes think it would be better if the Berlin Wall was still there". The poll, conducted by Emnid, asked 1 001 people about their current thoughts on the Berlin Wall, and found that even 16 percent thought that a return of the wall "would be the best thing that could happen".

A nostalgia for the perhaps more "simple" times before the fall of the wall is still a rather common occurrence in countries of the former bloc. According to the Der Spiegel weekly magazine, a poll conducted in 2009 had 49 percent of participants claiming that "The GDR had more good sides than bad sides. There were some problems but life was good there" (Spiegel Online).

However, the poll published in Bild made sure to point out that the opinions of those who once lived on either the West or East side of the wall were very similar. Among those who considered being in favour of the wall, 23 percent were former residents of east Germany and 24 percent were former residents of west Germany (AFP).

Looking for more info about the wall? Head to our Berlin Wall info page for a complete history.