Using "wollen" in passive?

Question

I came across this sentence > Auch 25 Jahre nach dem Fall der Berliner Mauer gibt es noch viele Barrieren, die überwunden werden wollen. My question is: Can things, like barriers, "want to be overcome"? Isn't it the people that want to overcome these things? If so, why is this usage correct (or not)?

Answer 1

This usage is correct, because it is used as a general statement, without specifically mentioning who wants to overcome the barrieres (e.g., politicians, residents, people, etc.). If you want to be more specfic, you'd say: "Auch 25 Jahre nach dem Fall der Berliner Mauer gibt es noch viele Barrieren, die von den Bürgern überwunden werden wollen."

Answer 2

In this sentence, you cannot literally translate "wollen" with "want to". In English, it would make a lot more sense to say: ".... barriers that are to be overcome" or "..... barriers that remain to be overcome". That's the meaning of ".... Barrieren, die ueberwunden werden wollen".