Berlin turns to technology to bring back the wall

Berlin s leaders were so happy to be rid of the most striking symbol of Cold War division that they tore the city s wall down after the collapse of East Germany and sold much of it off around the world. In retrospect, if only for the money it would have generated in tourism, they wish they had not been so hasty.

But beginning next week, visitors to the German capital will be able to rent a hand-held gadget that uses GPS technology to show where the Cold War barrier once stood. Fewer than two miles of the real bricks still exist, but the MauerGuide allows tourists to embark on a virtual tour of the full 98 miles of the wall s former course across the city.