Trouble with the original from Berlin: The wall has to go

London – A piece of world history for many, but apparently a nuisance for one neighbor: A homeowner in London had an original piece of the Berlin Wall placed in his garden – now the city administration is investigating him.

Like the news agency SWNS reports that real estate developer Steven Thorpe (65) left the 2.8-ton, 3.10-meter-high wall segment in the garden of his house in the district in February Herne Hill transport. As soon as the historic piece of concrete was in place, there was trouble. A neighbor asked the 65-year-old if he had a building permit for this. When Thorpe said no, the man filed a complaint with the city. “I honestly didn’t think I needed permission for it. To me it’s a work of art,” Thorpe says.

The Southwark district is now investigating the case. The authority confirmed to SWNS that a complaint had been received and it was now investigating whether further action was necessary.

An attraction for children

Thorpe said he bought the piece of wall from a farmer in East Germany. A friend alerted him to the sale. He then delivered the concrete part, which weighed several tons, by truck and ferry Great Britain transport.

Today, according to him, children from the neighborhood regularly come by to look at the piece of wall. The 65-year-old even had a small information booklet about the Berlin Wall printed. “The fall of the Berlin Wall was the most significant historical event of my life,” says Thorpe. Now he hopes that the authorities will subsequently approve the installation.