The German Resistance and the Bendler Block

After my roadside conversation with the Armani shirt-selling guy I headed towards the Bendler Block, a memorial to German Resistance during the regime of Adolf Hitler and the Nazis. Although the exhibition is totally in German it was still a very moving experience.

Claus Graf von Stauffenberg, who was the driving force behind the assassination attempt, was executed following the failed attempt. (This assassination plot inspired the making of the film Valkyrie starring Tom Cruise). In total nearly 5 000 people were executed as a result of this failed assassination.

In the courtyard there is a naked statue in rememberance of von Stauffenberg. He along with a number of co-conspiritors were executed by firing squad in this square.

I left the exhibition and walked again to Potsdammer Platz for some lunch inside the Sony Centre - the iconic skyscraper of Berlin. I sat down, asked for a local beer and was told "....sorry we serve Australian beers only...'' shocked by this I asked why and was advised that I was sitting in Corroboree, an Australian themed bar and restaurant!

Still stunned by the Australian only statement I ordered a Crown Lager under protest accompanied by a prawn curry (not quite Australian). The beer was passable (as it was nice and cold) and the curry edible.

I left the Sony Centre, headed down to Kurfürstendamm to buy a couple of items of clothing (my search for a launderette failed) and then returned to the hotel for my regular siesta (I must find the german equivalent word).

Tonight is my last night in Berlin and havent decided whether to head to a nice restaurant or just order some curry wurst on the street. I'll let you know next time I blog!

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Part of trip: European Sojourn 2009

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