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Published: July 31st 2012
Like the kids, I am lucky to have “host parents” here that want nothing more than to make sure that I enjoy my time here in Germany and strive to show off their great city and country. The Saturday morning after we arrived home from Lubeck, my hosts and I were off to Berlin for the weekend!
On Saturday we boarded a great “hop on, hop off” guided tour of the city. We hopped off at spots like the Beandenberg Gate, Freedom Column, Alexanderplatz, Checkpoint Charlie and one of the remaining sections of the still standing Berlin Wall.
The stark contrast between East and West Germany is still strikingly apparent. Block houses adorn the former Soviet side of the city while more Western architecture is seen in the former U.S. and U.K. areas. Though decimated by allied bombing like much of the rest of Germany during World War Two, the city is still rich with history, and an amazing wealth of more recent historical sites. It was a veritable candy shop of a city for a history teacher like myself and I felt a bit bad for my hosts having to wait for me at every site as I
soaked up the atmosphere and significance of each site or diligently read every historical plaque or informational sign.
Berlin is a giant of a city, and unlike Hamburg, feels every bit as enormous as it is. That being said, it was a great experience and a visit that I feel truly grateful to have been able to make
Sunday we departed for home with a visit to Potsdam on the way. Potsdam was the home of Frederick the Great, making it the pseudo center of Prussian Government. Frederick is perhaps the most revered historical figure in Prussian and German history. He elevated Prussia to the level of Italy and France with regard to cultural and artistic pursuits. One of his closest confidants was the eminent philosopher Voltaire. We toured the interior of his Neuer Palaise. While not quite on the level of Buckingham Palace in London, it was incredibly impressive and informational.
While the Neuer Palaise was Fredericks working residence, the Sanssouci, meaning "without care", one of his other palaces, was his true place of happiness. It is modeled after Versailles and he is buried on the grounds here. The Sansoucci was our next stop. Interestingly, it
was his request that he be buried not next to his father or wife, but rather next to the companions that truly made him happy. This is why then, he was buried next to his beloved dogs. Incidentally, 2012 is the 300th birthday of Frederick the Great.
In the photo, you will notice potatoes on his head stone. Due to the sandy soil in this area of Germany, agriculture of any kind was difficult. It was Frederick that introduced the potato as a staple crop. It helped to stabilize the economy and lives of the residents here and is one of the things Frederick is revered for.
It was a great weekend in Berlin and I can only hope the students enjoyed theirs as much as I did!
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