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| Berlin Cathedral |
This trip affected me in ways I did not expect. It has been 70 years since the end of WWII in Europe and 25 years since the collapse of the Berlin Wall.
On Saturday, Doug and I headed by metro to Alexander Platz in the city center. I had difficulty figuring out the metro-subway-train system so we walked down the street, Unter den Linden, toward the Brandenburg Gate. Seventy percent of the city had been severely damaged at the end of the war and buildings were surrounded by cranes signalling there was still more work to be done.
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| "Mother and her dead son" |
The wide street lined with Linden trees and reconstructed buildings pointed the way to the triumphal arch of Brandenburg Gate. We saw so much as we walked down this street. We visited St. Mary's church and the Berlin Cathedral; one simple in design, the other ornate. We stood beside the River Spree and watched sightseeing cruises take passengers down the gentle, curving river. We entered the Memorial to victims of war and tyranny built after WWI, but now it honored the memory of all who have suffered from war. We stopped at Museum Island aware of the antiquities housed inside. At a square next to Humboldt University we saw giant, colorful bean bags next to shelves of books to read. We grabbed a bean bag, closed our eyes for a moment and enjoyed the rays of the sun. It wasn't until later that evening when we realized this was the same square of the infamous book burning on May 10, 1933.
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| Brandenburg Gate |
At the top of the Brandenburg Gate sits a statue of a chariot pulled by 4 horses. It was built in 1788 to represent peace. So many historically significant events happened here; Napoleon rode through here when he conquered Germany, a military procession for Hitler marched through the gate, JFK's speech reminded everyone that "when one person is enslaved no one is free" and Ronald Reagan's plea to Mr. Gorbachev to "tear down the wall" was spoken here. We also got to see the temporary exhibit of multiple bronze and iron horse statues that had just been installed.
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| The Reichstag |
We found the Reichstag around the corner from the Brandenburg Gate. It has been burned, bombed, rebuilt, left isolated between the Berlin Wall, wrapped in fabric and turned into the home of Germany's parliament.
We walked through a large urban park called Tiergarten, full of paths for bicycles, runners and people out for a stroll. The lush green trees surrounded us, the birds were singing, and the lilacs filled our senses. It was peaceful, beautiful and refreshed us.
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| Victory Column |
In the middle of Tiergarten stood a Victory Column with a large winged statue at the top. We entered, learned about its history, and climbed the 285 circular stairs to the top. The view of the city was stunning.
Inside the monument was a small historical museum. I was struck by photos of the Brandenburg Gate that showed its bombed state at the end of WWII, the barbed wire around it when it stood between East and West Berlin, and the mass of people climbing over it when the wall came down.
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| Holocaust Memorial |
We walked back through the Tiergarten to find the Holocaust Memorial. I knew the memorial was 2711 concrete blocks of various heights that reminded people of sarcophagi. I was not prepared for the 5 acres of row after row of concrete slabs on uneven ground that heaved as if even the earth was grieving. Most of the slabs were taller than I which made me feel closed in and alone. In the midst of the memorial an occasional flowering tree had been planted in the stark monochromatic field of concrete. The informational building onsite provided a look into the personal tragedy of the victims. One quotation stood out to us, "if it happened once, it can happen again."
We both felt overwhelmed by the weight of our visit and returned to the hotel for some time to reflect.
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| Standing on the Berlin Wall |
After standing on the Berlin Wall marker on Saturday, Doug and I planned to see Checkpoint Charlie on Sunday. First we got on a tour bus and listened to the narrator as we rode around the city. We saw the Russian Embassy near Brandenburg Gate, and the American Embassy next to the Holocaust Memorial. We saw beautiful, pastel colored townhouses lining the streets and gallerias with designer shopping, crossed old bridges over the River Spree, gazed at the Charlottenburg Palace, and went to a flea market.
Checkpoint Charlie helped me understand how the city of Berlin was divided after WWII and how fragile peace was for the world. It was here American and Russian tanks faced each other. Divided by a few yards physically but many yards politically, WWIII threatened everyone.
Checkpoint Charlie helped me understand how the city of Berlin was divided after WWII and how fragile peace was for the world. It was here American and Russian tanks faced each other. Divided by a few yards physically but many yards politically, WWIII threatened everyone.
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| Checkpoint Charlie |
After dinner we walked a couple of blocks to a section of the Berlin Wall still standing. When we arrived, we found we were standing on the former headquarters of the Gestapo, SS and Reich Security force. The area had been totally demolished and forgotten until the creation of a documentation center. We walked along this long wall reading of the terror and persecution that happened here with the excavated torture rooms below and the remains of the Berlin wall above us. Then we went inside the center to read more about what happened at this site. The building was totally surrounded by glass including the ceiling. I felt the light denied the darkness and evil any place to hide. We found ourselves ready to go back to our hotel. It had been a full day.
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| East Side Gallery graffiti |
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| We can be those people |
As we walked along the wall we spotted this graffiti and thought of Vineyard Cincinnati. What a great reminder to be one of the small people doing small things. We just need to do them with great love to change the world.
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