Hallo aus Berlin! (Part 2)
Zoom! We are off to the West side of Berlin.
Along the way we passed the striking Holocaust Memorial. This large, outdoor memorial consists of over 2,700 concrete blocks in varying heights. The blocks are arranged in a grid pattern and give visitors an uneasy feeling when traversing the park. This location is for the remembrance of the millions of Jews killed under the Nazi regime during WWII. For me it seemed like an unsettled graveyard with tombs emerging and descending without reason. This then correlates to the senseless loss during WWII. I love that the artist designed the memorial with the intention of leaving interpretation open to each visitor. If you have been to this site, please let me know your interpretation.
Our next stop was the 13th-century St. Nicholas Church, which is now a museum, Nikolaikirche. It has been a landmark of the Berlin city center for over 800 years. The basement floors of the twin-towered building, which are made out of natural stone, are considered to be the oldest existing rooms in Berlin! Outside the church is beautiful statuary leading to one of Berlin’s famous canals.
More scenic driving enabled me to see the place where President John F. Kennedy famously said, “Ich bin ein Berliner”.
Humorous Aside: “… Kennedy should have said, “Ich bin Berliner.” Adding the indefinite article ‘ein’ implied that the speaker is a Berliner, which isn’t a citizen of Berlin at all but instead a jelly-filled doughnut popular in Germany and Central Europe.”
Along the way, it was hard to notice the vast amount of bear statues in the city. From the Buddy Bears to formalized bronzes. Buddy Bears began in 2001, the bear was thought to be an ideal sculpture for the backdrop of the German metropolis. The bear, Berlin’s heraldic animal with a high level of public appeal, was envisaged to capture the hearts of residents and guests alike with their various designs. I hope you enjoy the one I captured at our next stop, The Allied Museum.
The Allied Museum is situated along the Liberation Route Europe. This route is a continuously growing, international remembrance trail, which connects important milestones of modern European history. Liberation Route Europe links the main regions along the advance of the Western Allied Forces during WWII - wow!
The Allied Museum is located at the heart of the former American Sector in Berlin. This museum traces an eventful and historic period of time during the post-WWII days. In the warm summer days of 1945 – US, British and French troops were at once victors and occupiers whose main objective was to free the German Reich of Nazism.
Upon entering the museum grounds, you are arrested by five large items before you. First is the Outpost Theater. This theater was operational during WWII on this site and always played the National Anthem in advance of each film. If you were late to the cinema, you had to wait outside until the anthem was finished before you were allowed to go in.
The second artifact to catch your eye is the massive British Hastings TG 503 Airlift plane directly to your left. Beyond the plane and straight ahead are segments of The Berlin Wall. From here, turn right and you will see the last guardhouse from Checkpoint Charlie. Beyond this building is the dining car of a French military train. The ability to walk with history, to meditate on its meaning and to touch these physical objects that changed history was an incredible experience. These artifacts are impressive reminders of West Berlin’s status as an island in the middle of the Soviet zone of occupation and threatened access routes to the western part of the city. Whoa!
Inside the museum were many great artifacts from US, British and French WWII military history. The temporary exhibit entitled “LITTLE AMERICA: Life in the Military Community in Germany” is a photo exhibition that was mind-blowing! Wait for it… there are no images in the exhibition of German-American families or couples! To fill you in on a little history… photo journalists of the period were specifically told NOT to photograph German-American families and couples. These were images they would not be paid for in the course of their work. In a sense there was an editing of history on-going in the photo journalism we know from the period.
My favorite exhibit had to be the Berlin spy tunnel. It was planned and constructed beginning in 1953 by American and British intelligence to tap Soviet communication lines in the eastern part of the city. The tunnel segment on display is a piece of the tunnel that has been restored to its original state. How wild to see the real deal… not a replica! It made all those James Bond films I love so much come alive just a little bit more.
Let us take a moment of reflection for the lives lost in WWII.
Whoosh! I am off again for some more scenic city touring before our last stop of the day.
Driving along the River Spree it was time to see the Reichstag, Germany’s Parliament building. Many buildings bombed out during WWII were either rebuilt entirely or in part. You will notice the glass dome on the top of the building. This sits on top of the rebuilt Reichstag and was designed to symbolize the reunification of Germany. The distinctive appearance of the dome has made it a prominent landmark in the skyline.
We are nearing the end of the day and my travel buddies, oh heck!, the whole bus full of people is having a grand time spotting the Ampelmann throughout the city. This charmed everyone so much that with the little free time we had today… we all descended on an Ampelmann store like a pack of giddy school children.
Not familiar with Ampelmann? Well, it is Berlin’s iconic brand featuring the eastern “Ampelmännchen”, the symbol shown on pedestrian signals in Germany. Prior to German reunification in 1989, the two German states had different forms for the Ampelmännchen, with a generic human figure in West Germany and a generally male figure wearing a hat in the East.
The Ampelmännchen is a beloved symbol in Eastern Germany and enjoys the privileged status of being one of the few features of communist East Germany to have survived the end of the Iron Curtain with his popularity riding high. After the fall of the Berlin Wall, the Ampelmännchen acquired cult status. For that matter so has the Ampelfrau. Yes, in parts of Germany you can find an Ampelgirl strutting her stuff on cross-walks! So, what fun was it for me, looking like Ampelfrau, to have my photo made with Ampelmännchen? So fun!!!
This was a great way to lift our spirits before our final destination… the Berlin Wall Memorial. This is the central memorial site of German division and is located in the middle of the city. Situated at the historic site on Bernauer Strasse, it extends along 1.4 km of the former border strip.
The memorial contains the last piece of Berlin Wall with the preserved grounds behind. It provides a clear impression of how the border developed until 1989. The events that took place here, together with preserved historical remnants and traces of border obstacles, made the history of Germany's division comprehensible on a different scale.
So, how did I find it? My immediate impression was that I was walking on hallowed ground. In the center and running parallel to the wall is a monument to the individuals who lost their lives in an attempt to flee across the wall. Seeing the faces of those who lost their lives in the desire for freedom struck me to the heart. I took time to walk peacefully on the grounds and say a prayer for those who were lost.
At the end of our time a fellow traveler asked if I would like my picture taken with The Wall. I smiled, reached out and touched the wall. The minute after the photo was taken I was overcome with sadness and anger. In those brief moments, I not only cried but began kicking the wall. It may seem odd, but in some small way it felt good to kick the wall! To give the “up yours” to the people who divided a nation, a people, and families. In the next moment, the dear woman who took my photo came up and kicked the wall too. It was a relief that I wasn’t the only person struggling with the emotions this site was able to evoke.
Well, it was a quiet and somber ride back to the train station. It gave me time to reflect on all the history I was able to see and touch. One experience I will always remember and one I would like to repeat. Berlin is so rich with history, culture, tradition, art, and architecture – I definitely want to come back for a longer visit!
Back on our charted train direct Berlin to Warnemünde. It was time to bid my traveling companions adieu as I went in search of my Mom in another train coach. I found her deep in conversation about the days events. We spent the next 45 minutes looking at pictures, eating Pretzels, and drinking German beer. As the country-side rolled by in all of its Spring glory, one striking feature stood out. I may be a country girl, but I have never seen so many deer stands in a 2-hour period in my entire life!
Back at the boat terminal… Viking really put on a show for us! The music was as lively as a disco, dozens of crew members greeting us, and there was a glass of sparkling wine to enjoy before heading back on board!
I hope you are enjoying my journey through Berlin! Please stay tuned for the third and final installment of this culturally rich city.
Until next time,
Your Polite Adventuress