Berlin

Last week was a break from Germania because I was out of town for a few days, and I didn't get a chance to write more about our recent trip to Europe.  I've been busy with a couple other things, one of which may become a Pretty Big Deal soon. Are you excited? I know I am!

Meantime, want to see some pictures of Berlin? We spent a few days there, seeing what we could manage in the time we had. The Girl's cousin (second cousin, whatever) served as a tour guide and a translator for those of us who can't get by in German (me).  As luck would have it, he's a bit of an expert on the division and later reunification of Germany, and the Berlin Wall.  I joked that we could take him blindfolded anywhere in the city, remove the blindfold, and he'd know whether we were in East or West Berlin, and how far we were from the wall, but I really think he could have done it.

Berlin's official past time seems to be graffiti. Almost every building is covered up to about eight feet. This wall is set up specifically for graffiti; anyone can come and paint it whenever they like.

We saw a LOT in Berlin. On one afternoon, we took a bike tour of sites with a historical connection to the wall and reunification.  We visited an art museum, an Allied History museum, and a German history museum.  It was all fascinating, but it was also pretty heavy. I never realized how much empathy I had until I tried to digest a steady stream of Berlin history for four days straight. As I told our guide/second cousin, "It's no wonder you people drink."

Tiny wooden people helping each other in an alley.

A sculpture outside the Allied History Museum celebrating the liberation of Berlin.

There are still a lot of reminders of World War Two and the division of Germany. Older buildings (and a few monuments) still bear bullet holes and scars from heavier artillery. We saw at least two prominent churches which had suffered heavy bombing, but the damaged remains are still standing today--and mysteriously free of graffiti, as though there are some lines nobody will cross.

After the Nazis were defeated and Russia occupied East Germany, they built a monument to the Russian forces in Berlin. When they left during reunification, part of the agreement was that Berlin had to preserve and protect that monument. It's surrounded by an eight foot chainlink fence, and a gate that closes each night. It doesn't get many visitors.

The view from the top of one of Berlin's tallest buildings.

The Brandenburg Gate.  The tiny vertical line in the distance is the Victory Column.

One afternoon, we had a tour of the Bundestag (or the Reichstag, depending on your generation). This is like touring the Capitol Building in DC; it's their seat of government. It's been bombed, burned, and rebuilt. You can see the styles of three different architects, but the most prominent feature is the enormous glass dome on top. It has a separate access from the rest of the building, so you can see it just by getting in line and going through a security checkpoint. We went up there before taking a tour of the rest of the building.

The mirrored funnel shape reflects heat and light through a large window in the floor to the legislative assembly chamber below. The sides of the dome are glass, but the very top is open to the elements. It's an amazing structure.

The Bundestag.

The Jewish Memorial. The ground level drops as you cross, so the columns eventually block your view. It's meant to show how families were separated, and didn't know where their lost people had gone. It's very effective, and a little creepy.  The building in the background is the American Embassy.

A set of wings outside the Mexican Embassy, perfectly designed for photos.

Scweinshaxe, the manliest meal I've ever had. It broke my knife.