Bernauer Strasse
 

I have one day to spend in Berlin. I know....not enough!!! Trying to plan a tour for myself and would be pleased to receive feedback on the Bernauer Strasse area. Is it incredibly interesting to see? I notice it is not often included in tours I have read about.

Let em see if I have this correct: you have one day in Berlin and want to go to a place that is not considered a significant tourist area?

Works for me. Be sure to try the Currywurst mit Pommes.

Take one of the hop on-off buses to get a feel for this very spread out city.

Should have mentioned I have visited Berlin before but only toured the Pergamom Museum and Unter der Linden. Hop on hop off buses are not for me. I can see all the sights on youtube. I'm wanting to know if anyone can recommend Bernauer Strasse area. From what I have read, it seems to be an interesting area but it an outlier from my other choices so I am wanting to know if I can cut it out.

The new memorial looks interesting. I think the Topography of Terror visitor centre would be better though.

Topping...has anyone actually visited?

In case you mean the the Berlin Wall memorial park.. yes, I have been there couple of times..
Nowadays the only place where you cannot only see the original wall but the whole system of barriers (which was much more than just the last wall we saw from the West).
The visitor center with observation deck gives you a pretty good overview, and more info inside the center (bi-lingual).

Yes, I have visited....very interesting.
What Cowboy said.

Wow! Does this bring back memories!

When I was a soldier in West Berlin in 1968 I visited Bernauerstrasse once. The wall ran along the street, and behind the wall there were a number of apartment buildings. People used to jump from the windows of the apartment buildings to the other (west) side of wall – until the East Germans bricked up all the windows, thus cutting off that escape route.

There was also a large red-brick 19th century Gothic church with a magnificent spire on the east side of the wall at the corner of Bernauerstrasse and Hussitenstrasse – the Church of the Reconciliation. People also used to try to escape from the church into the West. When I was there, someone had painted a slogan (in Latin) on the west side of the wall, which said “In Tyrannos” (Into Tyranny).

At first, the Communists tore down all the buildings around the church, leaving it a solitary figure in a no-man’s land. The church could not be used, because no one was allowed to get near it. Later, in January of 1985, the East Germans finally tore down the church itself.

After the fall of the wall, it was decided to build a new memorial church on the site of the old one. When we went back to Berlin in 2000, they were just finishing it. This new one is a low, modern-looking building made of clay, called the Chapel of the Reconciliation. Near the chapel is the Wall Memorial Park that Cowboy mentioned.

Here are two links for more information if you’re interested. The Wikipedia link has a great aerial picture of the old church in “no-man’s land (in the gallery at the end of the story). The other link tells you more about the area and the memorial.

Whether you decide to visit this area or not, I hope you enjoy your time in Berlin. It’s a great city. And, as sparkchaser mentioned, be sure to eat some curry wurst – it’s the best in Germany!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernauer_Stra%C3%9Fe

http://www.berlin.de/mauer/gedenksta...r/index.en.php

These comments make me want to visit Berlin again for the umpteenth time. There is so much that I still haven't seen.

Really appreciate the feedback and especially the links from Tom18! Will certainly visit on Sept 25th. Wish me a sunny day!