 |
| Sam, the Berlin Bear, and I in front of the Brandenburg Gate |
After a program dinner last Friday night at a restaurant on the Freie Universität's campus, I made my way over to the Berlin central bus station to meet my girlfriend Sam upon her arrival from Copenhagen. Following a 7.5 hour bus ride that included a ferry trip across the Baltic Sea, she reached Germany's capital city one exhausted trooper.
 |
| Nazi bomb shelter |
Saturday morning we woke up early and met up with other members of my program for an excursion to two different art sites in Mitte (most central area of Berlin). The first of the two sites was located in a former Nazi bomb shelter built in 1942. Although the modern art collection housed inside was, in my opinion, incredibly stupid (since when was a blue collared shirt hanging on a wall considered art?), the bunker itself was really awesome. Unique because it was actually built above ground, the shelter held as many as 3,000 Germans during Allied bombing in World War II. After a tour of this art collection we had a short break during which time I experienced my first currywurst. For those unfamiliar with this Berliner cuisine, currywurst consists of a hot pork sausage covered in curry ketchup and cut up into little pieces, usually served with pommes fries. Not too different from a classic American hot dog, the key to good currywurst is in the sauce.
 |
| Tacheles |
The second art site that we visited was called Tacheles. Originally built as a huge department store, the building was heavily damaged during World War II, with only the front section of the builiding remaining. Upon the building's scheduled demolition in the early 1990s, a group of artists occupied the building, managing to delay its destruction by registering it as a historic site. Today, the space is shared by many artists and their work. We had the opportunity to meet with one of these artists, Roman Kroke, who has gained recognition lately for his work as an art designer for the 2008 Hollywood movie
Defiance, starring Daniel Craig and Liev Schreiber. Roman told us about his work, the history of Tacheles, and the potential future of the building, which has been purchased by a German bank looking to turn the space into upscale condominiums. Although the building was a bit dilapidated and reeked of urine, meeting with Roman and listening to his passion for his work was a great experience.
 |
| Brandenburg Gate |
Following this program excursion, Sam and I visited several of Berlin's most famous sites. First on our list was the Brandenburg Gate, arguably the most recognizable symbol of Berlin (and even Germany). Built in the late 18th century as a gate to the city, the gate has been the site of many important events throughout history. Badly destroyed during World War II, the gate was partially restored in the following years by both West and East Berlin governments. In 1963, President John F. Kennedy visited the Brandenburg Gate, during which time Soviet banners were hung across it to prevent him from looking into East Berlin. The gate was also the location of President Ronald Reagan's famous speech in which he called upon Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev to tear down the Berlin Wall.
 |
| Reichstag building |
After checking out the Brandenburg Gate and walking around the corner to view the Reichstag building, Sam and I walked through the Tiergarten, which is Berlin's largest public park. Originally a hunting reserve for Friedrich I of Prussia, the Tiergarten (which literally means "animal garden") now is a great place to relax and enjoy the natural scenery. Located just below the Tiergarten is Potsdamer Platz, where we walked to next. Completely destroyed during World War II, Potsdamer Platz was split during the Cold War by the Berlin Wall. Since German reunification, the area has experienced an incredible revival and has undergone a lot of new construction. Today, Potsdamer Platz is a center of commerce with beautiful modern buildings with at its heart the Sony Center, a large futuristic looking center that includes restaurants, hotels, museums, and a movie theater. After checking out Potsdamer Platz, Sam and I hopped on the U-Bahn and went to Hackescher Markt. At the center of Hackescher Markt is a really neat shopping district consisting of interconnected courtyards. Although I wasn't in the mood to spend a couple hundred Euro on a fine belt or tie, I did enjoy peeping into the little shops and scouting out the merchandise.
 |
| Fernsehturm |
 |
| Spree River from atop the Fernsehturm |
Located near Hackescher Markt is Alexanderplatz, where Sam and I went next. A large public square and transportation hub, Alexanderplatz is very close to the Fernsehturm, Berlin's famous television tower. With a height of over 1,200 feet, the tower is the tallest structure in all of Germany. About halfway up the tower is a silver sphere that houses an observation deck and a restaurant. Sam and I had the great opportunity to travel up into this sphere and enjoy dinner, which was an amazing experience. The food was pretty good and not too expensive and the view was breathtaking. As we ate, the floor rotated slowly so that over the course of dinner we got to enjoy a 360 degree of Berlin and its surrounding areas. Be sure to check out my Facebook profile for more pictures from atop the Fernsehturm.
 |
| Brandenburg Gate and Tiergarten in the distance |
 |
| Tons of these hats at the flea market |
The next day Sam headed back to Copenhagen via another 7 hour bus trip. After her departure I met up with some friends at a one of Berlin's several flea markets, which was quite the experience. I was pretty tempted to buy an authentic Soviet winter fur hat, but then I came to my senses and realized that I ain't no commie.
This Friday my program is travelling to Potsdam, which is just outside of Berlin, to visit Sansoucci (summer home of Prussian king Fredrick the Great) and Cecilienhof (site of the 1945 Potsdam Conference between Truman, Stalin, and Churchill). I am pretty excited about all the history I will be immersed in during this trip and will check in afterward to let you all know how it went.
Thanks for reading, so long for now.
No comments:
Post a Comment