Last entry from Berlin

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We went to the Berlin Cathedral to start our last day in Berlin. What an absolutely beautiful church. It has a dome, stained glass, majestic organ and inlaid gold. There are several statues that are on pedestals around the lower rim of the dome among them are Calvin and Luther. There are 6 memorials to members of the Kaiser Wilhem family. The oldest of the six died in 1499. The alter has a crucifix that is intricately carved and appears to be ivory. As we sat there, we were awed by the fact that this fairly new church (finished in 1905) was not damaged in World War II.

In comparison, yesterday we saw the bombed out shell of the Kaiser Wilhelm Cathedral. All that is left is part of the steeple and the entry way. After WWII, the people of Berlin and the congregation decided not to reconstruct the old church, rather they leave it as a memorial. A new church was built next to it. The French gave them the blue glass that makes up the stained glass walls. There is also a modern very large crucifix hanging above the alter. In the rear of the new church is the framed Stalingrad Madonna charcoal drawing. Toward the end of the war a German doctor, working on the Russian front, drew the Madonna on the back of a Russian map. He hoped it would serve as a help and console all the wounded. It was sent back to Germany on the last medical evacuation flight and some how survived the end of the war. Next to this very stark moving drawing is a large crucifix dated from the early 1300's. In such a modern church it is just the right added touch to remind us of the early roots of the church.

Well next we went to the Pergamon Museum. This museum houses significant classical antiquities of Greek and Roman architecture. To use the term “awe inspiring” is an understatement. They have a display of the Pergamon altar from 170 BC, a reconstruction of the Ishtar Gate from Babylon and the market gate of Miletus. It is incredible to think of how these were designed, carved, and built by hand.

It was now past 1pm and time for a libation... read that a quick stop at a side-walk cafe for a local beer and a little people watching. Then off down the street to see two more “must sees” - Bebelplatz and Neue Wache.

Bebelplatz is a memorial to the Nazi book burning in 1933. There is a glass window inset in the bricks that looks over a small room with walls of empty bookcases. A nearby plaque reminds all of the quote from the German Jewish poet in 1820 “When you start burning books, you'll end by burning people” - How prophetic...

Neue Wache is a building that houses a Kathe Kollwitz sculpture Mother with Her Dead Son. It is meant as a memorial to the victims of fascism.

We ended our day with time spent at the Berlin Oktoberfest tent in Alexanderplatz. Big Paulaner Beers (yes, full liter mugs) and authentic German food. The oompah band actually included “Take me Home down Country Roads” by John Denver and a Johnny Cash tune mixed in with lots of traditional German songs.

Tomorrow we head to Dresden and the continuation of our adventure.

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