The Many Sides of Berlin

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I have been told that Berlin is a “love it or hate it” city. Those that love the city feel that the molding of the east and the west after the fall of the wall resulted in a reinvented city that with a unique cultural, artistic, and accepting community. I wouldn't go so far as to say Berlin was all of this to me, but I have to admit that I was pleasantly surprised. Since the fall of the wall 21 years ago you can certainly see that much has changed. East Berlin is now the site of most tourist attractions and museums, as well as the focus of the nightlife. The west is still dominated by the capitalist vibe and is known for its shopping. Of course, one cannot discuss the current state of Berlin without going over the past.

I know you really want to hear it so, here's 20th century German history in a nutshell. Germany was quite a force at the beginning of the 1900s and was allied with the most powerful group of the time, the Austro-Hungarian empire. There were so many alliances in Europe, such as this, that when the Archduke to the Austro-Hungarian throne was assassinated in Sarajevo, it served as the spark to ignite the first world war. At the end of the war, many were upset with Germany for their “aggressive” actions and decided that they would make Germany pay for the damage they had done. This led to the collapse of the German economy and there was such extreme hyperinflation (money's value decreases) that the paper the money was printed on held more value than the currency. This disastrous state, led to the German citizens wanting change and a return to their previous dominance. Enter Hitler, who promised to bring Germany back to where it once was and utilized the population's anger to create a military state. Of course, we all know what happened during the war, and afterward Germany was split between East and West with the West being controlled by the USA, Britain and France, while the East was held by the Soviet Union. Germany found itself on the front lines of the Cold War clash between capitalism and communism. West Berlin, located in East Germany, was an island of capitalism, especially when the wall was erected to ensure no one could pass between the two. Eventually, as the Soviet Union was weakening and the people were able to speak more freely, there was a call to bring down the wall. This finally occurred in 1989. Yes, you don't even have to pay for that history lesson! You're welcome.

So, I suppose that wasn't as much of a nutshell as I had anticipated. Anyways, the first day I was in Berlin I took a four hour walking tour of the city and was able to see some really incredible places that were at the center of the history I just went over. Essentially the symbol of Berlin, I started my tour at the Brandenburg Gate. The statue on top was actually so admired by Napoleon, that when he came through, he decided to take it back to France with him, but after his death, the Germans were able to recover it. The gate is most famous for being in the middle of the so-called “no go” zone which was the area between the two sections of the Berlin wall. Now, tourists flock to it in the hundreds and you have an assortment of dressed up people to take pictures with (even Darth Vader), if you so choose. I figured this was a bit too tacky for the historical significance, so I decided to pass.

One of the most interesting spots on the tour was the Holocaust Memorial, which if translated directly from German is actually called The Monument to the Murdered Jews of Europe. There are many theories as to what the large formation of rectangular cement blocks is supposed to represent (one is that it is a blown up star of David), but the artist himself, did not make it clear to the public. What my tour guide said after we walked through seemed to resonate the most with me. He explained how when one is walking through the memorial there are usually many others that come in and out of your view, maybe playing or simply passing through, but then they are gone as quickly as they come into view and you are left by yourself. This allusion to the Jews taken during the Holocaust really made the most sense to me, and is what I will remember of the memorial. (You can see a video of my walking through the memorial using the url at the bottom of the blog)

There were a few places that I would have simply passed over, if not for the tour, and I am certainly glad that I didn't miss them. One of these, was simply a parking lot, but at that location and buried below ground is Hitler's bunker. It was here where he spent the last few days of his life and where he (along with his mistress Eva Braun) committed suicide. Another spot was a small plaque, located in the middle of a square near Humboldt University, which marked the location where many Nazi book burnings occurred. Another spot was the building where Heinrich Himmler directed all the actions of the Gestapo and the SS. When seeing how seemingly inconsequential locations held so much history, it almost made me feel as though I were actually a part of it.

Of course, no stop in Berlin is complete without seeing some remaining sections of the wall. At this point, most of the wall has been taken down in the main city and been replaced with a brick path along the ground. The sections that remain have been pretty well scoured, as many people like to take home souvenirs. Now, these remaining sections are fenced off. A crazy bit of information about the wall is that West Berlin changed the top of it from barbed wire to a rounded top, because the people truly determined to cross had a better hand hold on barbed wire versus a slippery rounded top. One tourist spot that Berliners make fun of Americans for being so excited to see is Checkpoint Charlie. Now it is certainly kitchy, but it is famous in the minds of Americans as housing the sign that states: “You are now leaving the American sector”.

After my tour, I went to the German National History Museum. They had two really fantastic exhibitions; one on the movements across Germany that resulted in the fall of the wall and another on the interaction of Hitler and German citizens. The one that showed how German citizens approached and worked for/against Hitler was especially interesting. The approach of the exhibit was something very new, as many Germans like to think that Hitler's terror can be singularly attributed to the man himself, but the museum showed how a great deal of the German population was in full support of Hitler. It showed how Hitler used his powerful personality to bring others to his cause. Sadly, once again I was not able to take pictures in this museum.

After my long first day, there was still one location that I wanted to return to on my own: the Reichstaggebäude (parliament building). I wanted to see this for two main reasons. One, it still houses the German parliament and the glass dome on top allows the public to walk through while looking down in the chamber. They say it was built this way so the politicians debating on the floor can look up and see who actually holds the power. I did not actually manage to make it up, as you can see in my pictures the line to get up was atrociously long. Secondly, it was here that Hitler's grab for power was realized. Already elected chancellor, Hitler devised a way to get the power he desired: fear. There are many facts that point to someone associated with the NSDAP (Nazi) Party started the fire in the Reichstag, which Hitler used to spread the fear that radicals would do whatever it would take to overthrow Germany. It is from this event that Hitler eventually becomes “The Fuhrer”.

As you can see, Berlin certainly does not lack history, and can make you feel as though you are a participant in it. In the next blog post I make on the Sachsenhaun Concentration Camp, I felt even more connected, and it was an incredibly sobering experience.

Holocaust Memorial:

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Photos

Parking Lot?
Or area where Hitler's bunker is buried...

Book Burning Memorial
"Where they have burned books, they will end in burning human beings."
Heinrich Heine

Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church
Left as it was at the end of the war as a memorial

Comments

[Dana]

BERLIN!
Dave! I was there in February! I hope you are loving Germany as much as I did. If it weren't for the cold winters (worse than ME and NH I swear!) I'd live there in a heartbeat. Keep traveling and don't forget to go to SPAIN! Safe journeys!

[Janice H]

Nice pics David. I think you might be coming home or home by this date!!