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Published: June 18th 2018
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TV tower
When built the architect designed it so that when the sun shone on it at a particular angle you would see a cross on it. This was to thwart the Soviets We were last in Berlin in 1979 when the wall was still up; how the city has changed. You are constantly reminded of the deeds of the National Socialists and how many people they murdered. This theme is constantly “in your face” both verbally and visually with the monuments that have been erected.
We arrived a day before our tour started, so we went walking and stopped at the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe with its amazing 2711 concrete blocks. We also visited the Brandenburg Gate, the Reichstag, (we knew we would be going to the Reichstag for afternoon tea on our tour, so just walked around) passing also the monument to the Romy murdered by the National Socialists.
As we had a free day in Berlin on a Tuesday we knew that there would be a free lunchtime concert in the foyer of the Berlin Philharmonic. You arrive in plenty of time (as they only allow 1500 to attend) and sit on the steps or whereever you can find a spare spot. It was a recital of 2 violins, 1 viola and 1 cello and the program went for 45 minutes.
Our tour started on
Wednesday and saw us leaving Berlin and heading to Potsdam. We visited the Baroque garden of the Palace of King Frederick the Great - Sans Souci . We stopped at Platform 17, Grunewald Station where Jews were lined up on the station awaiting trains to the camps. The memorial was established in 1998 at the historic track where 50000 Jews were exported . The memorial consists of steel grates embedded onto the platform inscribed with the destination , date and numbers transported.
We then went to the Cecilienhof Palace where the Potsdam Treaty was signed to slice up Europe in 1945. Potsdam would be a nice town to visit for a few days.
City tour and coffee and cake at the renovated Reichstag, which was burnt in 1933. Amazing architecture of the dome at the top. On the ground floor we saw the parliament sitting from a distance. Not many members in attendance, just like ours.
The next morning we did a cruise on the river Spree to look at the city and its architecture from a different perspective. It was enjoyable to go past a school and hear and see the students cheering both their fellow
students and their teachers in running races.
We also visited the Topography of Terror documentation centre which stands on the site of the Secret State Police of the Third Reich, as well as cellars of torture. It was made into a documentation centre in 1987 to detail the conditions and happenings of those captured and killed by the Nazis. Extremely well done!.
There is so much to see in Berlin and we enjoyed all of it, including dinner the last night at a restaurant watching the first match of the World Cup. Especially the reaction of one of the waiters each time the Russian team scored a goal.
Tried to act as Berliners, by eating currywurst, pork knuckle, and drinking a variety of beers - all good.
As usual I am behind in these blogs. Tours don’t allow for much free time.
Next stop Warsaw
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