Autumn in Berlin

Sunday, October 14, 2012

We covered a lot of ground on this lovely fall day in Berlin.  Having “mastered” the subway system(s) yesterday, we decided to layer on the buses today and, despite the fact that we had no good maps for them (or, perhaps, because we had no maps for them), the bus routes were easy to negotiate.

Because Tom wanted more photos of the Berlin Cathedral, that was our first stop, and we stayed for part of the Sunday service.  We were able to sit in the International Box, with simultaneous translation (in a Meryl Streep-like voice!) of the readings and prayers.  The cathedral is beautiful, with a soaring dome, beautiful mosaics, glowing brass candelabra, organ music, and fine soloists. The exterior of the building bore many gray “patches” that covered the bullet holes Tom remembered from his previous visit.

We continued on the top deck of a double decker city bus down Unter den Linden, past the Brandenburg Gate and Reichstag, and through the Tiergarten, with lovely views all the way.  Near the Zoo, we visited the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church.  The original church was bombed during the war, and some of the ruins can be viewed from the Memorial Hall, the original, beautifully mosaic-adorned vestibule, which contains photos and artifacts relating to the history and destruction of the church.  We also visited the new church, a beautiful contemporary space whose walls are constructed of blue glass tiles; the effect is striking.

As we were walking past the main entrance to the Zoo, police presence, blocked off streets, and music made it evident that something was about to happen.  We stopped long enough to see the leaders of the Berlin Marathon race by (far ahead of the pack we saw later!)  After a stroll and lunch in the Tiergarten, we walked to the museum dedicated to those who resisted the Nazis, both here and in other countries.  The care with which these stories are presented and documented again brought us face to face with modern Germany’s commitment to honor the best in its past, in the face of the worst.

In nearby Potsdamer Platz, we were wowed by the Sony Center, with its trademark canopy, “Mount Sony”, which is supposed to be reminiscent of Mount Fuji.  In its own right, it creates a great space, sheltering a lively plaza cradled by skyscrapers.   Back on Unter den Linden, we stopped at Bebel Platz at Humboldt University to peer through glass in the pavement down into the empty bookshelves, which serve as a silent reminder of the Nazi book burnings that occurred on that site.  Also on that square is the Catholic church of St. Hedwig, shaped like an upside down teacup and, like all Catholic churches in the city, it is set back off the street, a sign of their inferior status here.

The look of medieval Berlin is restored in a quarter known as Nikolaiviertel, centered on the oldest building in the city, the 13^th-centruy Nikolai Church. It’s a lovely, quaint area along the river, unlike any other we’ve seen here.

Our last sight of the day was also along the Spree.  The Eastside Gallery is billed as the world’s longest art gallery, and who would we be to dispute that?  It is actually composed of murals covering the longest remaining stretch of the Wall – almost a mile.  Artists from all over the world created their works in 1990 and have refreshed them every ten years since.  They are vibrant expressions of freedom , pleas for peace, and cries against oppression in many languages

Berlin has amazed us with its vitality, its amazing rebirth, and, repeatedly, the way it is using its past -- warts and all –as a lesson for its future.