Busy in Berlin

Guten tag, dear Friends and Family!

We flew 10 hrs to Amsterdam, had a one hr layover, then changed planes for a 1 hr flight into the German capital, Berlin. We finally arrived via U Bahn, (the subway), and S Bahn, (a tram), at the Circus hostel on Rosenthaller Platz, where we are 9 hrs ahead of you in California. The U/S Bahn network is vast and felt quite confusing at first, especially with our jet lag, but it is the #1 form of Berlin transport, with bicycles coming in a close 2nd. Though a short ride ticket is only €1.70, some take a chance and ride for free, since ticket purchase is not closely monitored. Today we saw one guy get caught and read that the fine is €60, proving once again, crime doesn’t pay. Our 6th floor room at the hostel had a balcony overlooking throngs of passers by, beer and food cafes, and busy tram, bike and car traffic. It’s very colorful, but noisy all night with young beer drinkers. They kept Bruce up most of the 2 nights before we could switch to a quieter, but still noisy 1st floor room. Beer (bier) is quite popular here. In fact, it’s common to see people walking around with a beer at any/all hours of the day. We received three welcome drinks apiece upon arrival. Prost! (Cheers!) The hostel, with a great buffet bkfst, a nice café, a bar, several comfortable areas in which to relax, and a fantastic shower, is like a 4 star hotel. It’s in a fabulous location from which to see the sights! In spite of the noise, we’re happy with this choice.

The outdoor cafes near the hostel are filled with happy party goers. The neighboring Weinberg park is filled every evening with young families and couples on blankets, relaxing and drinking. There are long lines for gelato each evening, just like you find in Italy. We took an informative free(+tip) walking tour that included a section of the iconic Berlin Wall, Hitler’s bunker, Museum Island, the Reichstag, (parliament ) and Brandenburg Gate. We spent a few sobering minutes walking around the “Memorial for Murdered Jews of Europe.” At the Reichstag plaza, in Tiergarten Park, (hunting grounds of yesteryear), Bruce asked if Hitler held his rallies there, slightly raising his hand to gesture. Our guide warned him that a group of tourists were recently arrested for posing for a photo all doing the “Sig-Heil.” Pretty dumb and insensitive! Hitler, the Nazis, and the millions murdered during WWII are a sensitive issue here. After our tour, we spent a couple of hours at a nearby museum, “Topography of Terror. The exhibit included all of the countries and the people who were murdered during WWII. There are over 170 museums here, numerous memorials, the gorgeous New Synagogue, and several beautiful churches. Our favorite was the massive Dom Cathedral on the Spree River.

We spent several hours at the German History Museum. It gave us an excellent account of the history of Germany through 1990. Germany’s economy was destroyed by WW1 and The Great Depression. It enabled Hitler’s rise to power, the Nazi war machine, and the murder of millions of innocent people, including Jews, Gypsies, gays, the disabled, Jehovah’s Witness, Poles, Czechs, Russians and others. We hoped to get the Jewish perspective on the Holocaust at The Jewish Museum of Berlin. We were disappointed that their historical floors are all closed for remodeling until next year. Instead, they had a presentation on Jerusalem, art exhibits, and stories about Jews fleeing Germany for other countries. The building was designed by the architect Daniel Libeskind and was unique, unsettling, and perfect for it’s purpose. It’s frightening to realize that Nazi Germany was capable of such horrific genocide. Modern Germany, at least Berlin, appears to be quite accepting of people of all cultures.

There are numerous memorials around the city dedicated to the many groups of victims of WWII. Today we happened across one stirring memorial for 500,000 Gypsies, who, like Jews, were forced to wear identifying armbands. Theirs had a “Z” on them, signifying the German word for gypsy. Gypsies included several ethnic groups, mostly Sinti and Roma, and were euthanized and thrown into ovens as part of Hitlers’ genetic cleansing campaign.

Berlin is still recovering from bombing during WWII. Eighty percent of it was destroyed. Much of the infrastructure is broken down and/or under construction, and many buildings and roads are lined with ugly graffiti. There is a lot of interesting street-art. Though it’s sometimes hopeful, it’s mostly dark and brooding. The people of Berlin were devastated by both world wars. The 11.5’ high Berlin Wall, in place for nearly thirty years, divided families and friends and left a deep scar. After Germany lost WWII, control of the country was divided. Communist Russia controlled East Germany, while West Germany had a Democratic government. The dividing line was the Iron Curtain. All of Berlin was located in what was then East Germany, but a portion of the city belonged to West Germany! West Berlin flourished under Democracy. Passports and immigration documents were only a two-hour process. People flocked into West Berlin. To prevent the outpouring, Russia built the Berlin Wall in 1961. It was not taken down until 1989. There is a double strip of inlaid stones running all through the city like a scar, where the Wall used to be. There are white crosses along the Spree River that runs through Berlin, marking places people were shot and killed trying to cross the wall. Three sections of the Wall remain today and are protected as a national monument. The longest piece is covered with graffiti and murals. Another stretch has been left as it was, an ugly, gray cement barrier.

Inlaid brass squares on sidewalks are engraved with the names of former Jewish Berliners, their birth-death dates, and the Nazi camp to which they were deported and killed. The brass memorials are located in front of what was the victim’s home at the time. We encountered one or two, and sometimes several, where an entire Family was wiped out.

Air pollution and car traffic are not that bad since most people ride bikes or use public transportation . We walked our legs off, using the tallest building in Germany as our focal point, the 368 M high “T V Tower.” We also made great use of the subway system. It has been 85-90 degrees here and the unusually hot weather has created a bee problem. They are EVERYWHERE! You especially don’t dare eat a sugary snack at an outdoor table. Berliners say they usually have mosquitos during this time of year, never bees.

Cigarette butts and beer bottle caps are everywhere. A lot more people smoke in public in Berlin than in the USA. It’s the height of the summer tourist season here. There are thousands of us milling about, mixing with roughly 3.5 million locals. There are bicycle lanes and tram tracks everywhere . Tourists walk and bike the streets, snapping photos, and eating donor kebabs, falafel, burgers, sausage and pizza. Beer, currywurst, giant pretzels, and kebabs are king here, though eclectic Asian food is also very popular. Other than currywurst, breads and pastries, traditional German food is not that popular.

We’re enjoying our travels. Bruce has had a cold but seems to be kicking it. Tomorrow we are leaving by train for Gdańsk, Poland. It will be an early day. Hope that you are all well.

Hugs n Love, BnL

Author: bnlmos

We are a retired couple, together nearly 35 years, who love International travel. Having a "blog" is brand new to us, so have patience as we do our best to keep in touch with our friends and family. Please feel free to comment on this blog or contact us via personal email. brucemos@hotmail.com View all posts by bnlmos