Palenque's Berlin Journal
Sep 19th, 2005, 12:20 PM
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MUSEUM ISLAND
After the Zeughaus/Neue Wache area you cross the Spree to Museum Island and on your left the massive Berliner Dom - a not-so-old Protestant cathedral that i believe only dates from around 1900 - built during Berlin's heady days when it first became a major world capital under the Prussian dominance. Largely decimated during WWII its restoration began in earnest in the 1970 or so with funds from West Germany's Protestant church groups. Besides being big the church doesn't excite me, but few churches really do.
Opposite the Dom is one of Berlin's most controversial edifices, the Palace of the Republic, thrown up in 1976 by the DDR to serve multi-functions. It not only housed the East German Parliament but had a convention center, a bevy of bars, a disco, bowling alley, theatres and like - the blah architecture is a prime example of Socialist style common in Eastern Europe during the post war years. The reason the building is controversial is that it's built on the site of the old Berlin Palace, torn down in 1950 by the East officials and ultimately replaced with this monstrosity. Though the Berlin Palace, which had been the home of the Hohenzollerns dynasty from 1451-1918 had been seriously damaged in the war, most experts deemed it salvageable, much like countless other historic buildings in Germany rebuilt after the war. But the DDR, bucking public opposition, tore it down less it become a rallying point for the old order i guess. Anyway the controversy was rekindled after the Wall fell. In recent years a trompe-l'oeil facade re-creating the old palace, a fabric, covered the facade of today's Palace of the Republic so you from a distance actually may think the old palace had been rebuilt - as it may well be rebuilt in the future it seems. All that's left of the old palace is a portal that is now ensconced in the facade of the nearby Staatsratsgebaude - a token saved and turned into a memorial to Karl Liebknecht, who led the ill-fated 'Socialist Republic' he and the likes of Rosa Luzembourg proclaimed in Berlin in 1918 during the chaos of the end of WWI. This building was Eric Honnecker's official residence (DDR Pres). The Platz these buildings sit on is Marx-Engel Platz, unless the name has been recently changed and i don't believe it has or is scheduled to be.
THE MITTE
The whole area around the Dom and the Palace of the Republik, the Unter den Linden and Karl Liebknecht Str (a continuation of Unter den Linden) was the heart of pre-war Berlin - Mitte meaning center. I guess it went to East Berlin because Soviet troops were the first to invade Berlin and probably were in place at the Reichstage area at the war's end - but i wonder why the heart of Berlin ended up on the 'other' side of the wall? Left to stagnate for years but now being fevoriously rehabbed and revitalized.
NEXT - MORE ON MUSEUM ISLAND
After the Zeughaus/Neue Wache area you cross the Spree to Museum Island and on your left the massive Berliner Dom - a not-so-old Protestant cathedral that i believe only dates from around 1900 - built during Berlin's heady days when it first became a major world capital under the Prussian dominance. Largely decimated during WWII its restoration began in earnest in the 1970 or so with funds from West Germany's Protestant church groups. Besides being big the church doesn't excite me, but few churches really do.
Opposite the Dom is one of Berlin's most controversial edifices, the Palace of the Republic, thrown up in 1976 by the DDR to serve multi-functions. It not only housed the East German Parliament but had a convention center, a bevy of bars, a disco, bowling alley, theatres and like - the blah architecture is a prime example of Socialist style common in Eastern Europe during the post war years. The reason the building is controversial is that it's built on the site of the old Berlin Palace, torn down in 1950 by the East officials and ultimately replaced with this monstrosity. Though the Berlin Palace, which had been the home of the Hohenzollerns dynasty from 1451-1918 had been seriously damaged in the war, most experts deemed it salvageable, much like countless other historic buildings in Germany rebuilt after the war. But the DDR, bucking public opposition, tore it down less it become a rallying point for the old order i guess. Anyway the controversy was rekindled after the Wall fell. In recent years a trompe-l'oeil facade re-creating the old palace, a fabric, covered the facade of today's Palace of the Republic so you from a distance actually may think the old palace had been rebuilt - as it may well be rebuilt in the future it seems. All that's left of the old palace is a portal that is now ensconced in the facade of the nearby Staatsratsgebaude - a token saved and turned into a memorial to Karl Liebknecht, who led the ill-fated 'Socialist Republic' he and the likes of Rosa Luzembourg proclaimed in Berlin in 1918 during the chaos of the end of WWI. This building was Eric Honnecker's official residence (DDR Pres). The Platz these buildings sit on is Marx-Engel Platz, unless the name has been recently changed and i don't believe it has or is scheduled to be.
THE MITTE
The whole area around the Dom and the Palace of the Republik, the Unter den Linden and Karl Liebknecht Str (a continuation of Unter den Linden) was the heart of pre-war Berlin - Mitte meaning center. I guess it went to East Berlin because Soviet troops were the first to invade Berlin and probably were in place at the Reichstage area at the war's end - but i wonder why the heart of Berlin ended up on the 'other' side of the wall? Left to stagnate for years but now being fevoriously rehabbed and revitalized.
NEXT - MORE ON MUSEUM ISLAND
Sep 20th, 2005, 08:46 AM
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MUSEUM ISLAND
Moving back from the Palace of the Republik, crossing back over the Spree to Museum Island, location of the 'underwhelming' Dom you'll find several world-class art museums - the Pergamon Museum, the Bode Museum, the National Gallery and the Old Museum.
The Pergamon Museum offers the most extraordinary collection of all as it houses what was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World - the Pergamon Altar, dating from the 2nd century BC and dedicated to Zeus and many other fantastic antiquities, especially Greek, Roman and Middle East/Islamic stuff. The fancifully decorated Millet market (AD 2nd cen) rivals the altar in importance as do parts of the Babylonian 580 BC Gate of Ishtar and bits and pieces of numerous other temples, gates and statuary - all perhaps 'stolen' by German archaeologists if you believe the protests of countries from which they were allegedly plundered. Anyway even non-museum buffs like myself will revel in the Pergamon's stunning displays. Of the other three museums, the Bode Museum showcases Egyptian, pre-Christian, Byzantine and medieval Italian art amongst other genres. The Old Museum, Berlin's first public museum and designed by Schinkel in the 1820s has a highly acclaimed colonnaded Neo-Classical facade - today it houses mainly modern (post-war) art - Picasso and the like. The National Gallery houses art of the 1800s thru about 1930.
Kind of weird here is the fact that the elevated tracks of the noisy S-Bahn slice right thru Museum Island - at one point the Pergamon Museum is right on one side of the tracks and the Bode Museum on the other side.
The Spree River here offers popular boat trips of the Mitte area and longer ranging ones.
Crossing over the Spree by the Dom we join Karl Liebknecht Strasse by the Palace of the Republic. This street was a showcase of the DDR - which lined it by sleek modern buildings. On the street's south side soon comes the Marienkirch, one of Berlin's oldest churches which looks weird being surrounded by the huge expanse of concrete that becomes Alexanderplatz - the church improbably rises in the shadow of the 1,198 foot tall Fernsenthurn TV tower (known to Berliners as the 'Telespargel' or 'Teleasparagus' for its resemblance to a big asparagus.
NEXT: NIKOLAIVERTEL - ST NICHOLAS QUARTER - THE OLDEST PART OF BERLIN
Moving back from the Palace of the Republik, crossing back over the Spree to Museum Island, location of the 'underwhelming' Dom you'll find several world-class art museums - the Pergamon Museum, the Bode Museum, the National Gallery and the Old Museum.
The Pergamon Museum offers the most extraordinary collection of all as it houses what was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World - the Pergamon Altar, dating from the 2nd century BC and dedicated to Zeus and many other fantastic antiquities, especially Greek, Roman and Middle East/Islamic stuff. The fancifully decorated Millet market (AD 2nd cen) rivals the altar in importance as do parts of the Babylonian 580 BC Gate of Ishtar and bits and pieces of numerous other temples, gates and statuary - all perhaps 'stolen' by German archaeologists if you believe the protests of countries from which they were allegedly plundered. Anyway even non-museum buffs like myself will revel in the Pergamon's stunning displays. Of the other three museums, the Bode Museum showcases Egyptian, pre-Christian, Byzantine and medieval Italian art amongst other genres. The Old Museum, Berlin's first public museum and designed by Schinkel in the 1820s has a highly acclaimed colonnaded Neo-Classical facade - today it houses mainly modern (post-war) art - Picasso and the like. The National Gallery houses art of the 1800s thru about 1930.
Kind of weird here is the fact that the elevated tracks of the noisy S-Bahn slice right thru Museum Island - at one point the Pergamon Museum is right on one side of the tracks and the Bode Museum on the other side.
The Spree River here offers popular boat trips of the Mitte area and longer ranging ones.
Crossing over the Spree by the Dom we join Karl Liebknecht Strasse by the Palace of the Republic. This street was a showcase of the DDR - which lined it by sleek modern buildings. On the street's south side soon comes the Marienkirch, one of Berlin's oldest churches which looks weird being surrounded by the huge expanse of concrete that becomes Alexanderplatz - the church improbably rises in the shadow of the 1,198 foot tall Fernsenthurn TV tower (known to Berliners as the 'Telespargel' or 'Teleasparagus' for its resemblance to a big asparagus.
NEXT: NIKOLAIVERTEL - ST NICHOLAS QUARTER - THE OLDEST PART OF BERLIN
Sep 20th, 2005, 10:12 AM
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NIKOLAIVIERTEL
Just southeast of the Palace of the Republik a short detour leads you to the oldest part of Berlin - St Nicholas Quarter - a vestpocket re-creation of old cobbled lanes evoking Berlin's medieval past. Here is Berlin's oldest church, St Nicholas, an old Romanesque Basilica with Gothic parts.
Berlin never really became a major player on the international scene until the 1800s, especially from the later 1800s when Prussian military might was peaking - defeating France in the 1870s and creating an empire that stretched from the Russian to French borders. Berlin mushroomed in the late 1800s and early 1900s - from a miniscule population of just several thousand in the 1600 and 1700's (the number fluctuated as to various plagues) the city boomed into a major world capital. Thus the tiny NikolaiViertel is the only really old, medieval part of town -it's been pieced back together from war rubble - interesting but i wouldn't go out of my way to find it.
NEXT: PRENZLAUER BERG, the area of East Berlin just north of the Mitte and one of Berlin's most interesting and Bohemian residential districts.
Just southeast of the Palace of the Republik a short detour leads you to the oldest part of Berlin - St Nicholas Quarter - a vestpocket re-creation of old cobbled lanes evoking Berlin's medieval past. Here is Berlin's oldest church, St Nicholas, an old Romanesque Basilica with Gothic parts.
Berlin never really became a major player on the international scene until the 1800s, especially from the later 1800s when Prussian military might was peaking - defeating France in the 1870s and creating an empire that stretched from the Russian to French borders. Berlin mushroomed in the late 1800s and early 1900s - from a miniscule population of just several thousand in the 1600 and 1700's (the number fluctuated as to various plagues) the city boomed into a major world capital. Thus the tiny NikolaiViertel is the only really old, medieval part of town -it's been pieced back together from war rubble - interesting but i wouldn't go out of my way to find it.
NEXT: PRENZLAUER BERG, the area of East Berlin just north of the Mitte and one of Berlin's most interesting and Bohemian residential districts.
Sep 21st, 2005, 09:10 AM
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PRENZLAUER BERG, or 'Prenzelberg' in local parlance is a traditional working-class district - located in old East Berlin the area stagnated after the division of Berlin but retains its many turn-of-the-century buildings and Bohemian flare it had even during the DDR era. West Berliners could go to the east after the wall went up and many came here for cheap beer and nightlife. The area also attracted many immigrants from eastern Europe - i happened to visit one of the flats here just after the wall fell - to visit a group of Macedonian young people who were sharing a flat - the stories i had heard of during the DDR era of there being trouble even getting light bulbs (in this, the DDR, the world's 10th or such largest inudstrial power) and any consumer goods, and this flat showed it in the fixtures, dull bulbs, shared toilets, etc. The flats were grim but like most things in East Berlin after the fall of the wall have been spruced up greatly.
Penzlauer Berg supposedly has the most pubs of any district in Berlin and in recent years has become the Kreuzberg of the east part of town. (Kreuzberg being the Bohemian area of West Berlin.) Lots of alternative life stylists and artists, etc. have flocked here - at first because of cheap rents and now because the district has become fashionable for these types. Anyway a bit of the old Berlin. Not much to see here and a diversion only for those with lots of time to spend in Berlin.
Penzlauer Berg supposedly has the most pubs of any district in Berlin and in recent years has become the Kreuzberg of the east part of town. (Kreuzberg being the Bohemian area of West Berlin.) Lots of alternative life stylists and artists, etc. have flocked here - at first because of cheap rents and now because the district has become fashionable for these types. Anyway a bit of the old Berlin. Not much to see here and a diversion only for those with lots of time to spend in Berlin.
Sep 21st, 2005, 09:29 AM
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THE LOVE PARADE
During the third weekend of July (i think) the Love Parade takes over central Berlin, attracting some 1.5 million mainly youthful techo-loving fans from all over Europe. Started in 1988 as a birthday party for a techno DJ featuring an old VW van with a boombox on it. Now dubbed the World's Biggest Party (Die Grosste Partei der Welt) the action is centered on the Strasse des 17 Juni west of the Brandenburg Gate and the nieghboring Tiergarten park - the area becomes a huge rave dance floor - lots of alternative types appear for this '54 hours of nonstop partying'. The actual parade has evolved into a parade of floats with blasting techno/pop music.
During the third weekend of July (i think) the Love Parade takes over central Berlin, attracting some 1.5 million mainly youthful techo-loving fans from all over Europe. Started in 1988 as a birthday party for a techno DJ featuring an old VW van with a boombox on it. Now dubbed the World's Biggest Party (Die Grosste Partei der Welt) the action is centered on the Strasse des 17 Juni west of the Brandenburg Gate and the nieghboring Tiergarten park - the area becomes a huge rave dance floor - lots of alternative types appear for this '54 hours of nonstop partying'. The actual parade has evolved into a parade of floats with blasting techno/pop music.
Sep 21st, 2005, 12:04 PM
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ZEHLENDORF
For something different head to Zehlendorf, considered to be Berlin's poshest district, in the southwestern part of West Berlin. The district's center is by the Zehlendorf station on S-Bahn line #1 - nothing real old here but an unusual bag of rather fancy dwellings, many surrounded by lush gardens. That Zehlendorf was and is Berlin's most exclusive district was perhaps the reason that the American occupiers after WWII made it their headquarters for the American sector - the area around the Oskar-Helene-Heim U-Bahn station is called Little America - after 1945 the American military took over a former Nazi building as their headquarters - though the American presence is less official than it once was the area is still a mini-american city with American looking schools, houses, shops, etc.
For something different head to Zehlendorf, considered to be Berlin's poshest district, in the southwestern part of West Berlin. The district's center is by the Zehlendorf station on S-Bahn line #1 - nothing real old here but an unusual bag of rather fancy dwellings, many surrounded by lush gardens. That Zehlendorf was and is Berlin's most exclusive district was perhaps the reason that the American occupiers after WWII made it their headquarters for the American sector - the area around the Oskar-Helene-Heim U-Bahn station is called Little America - after 1945 the American military took over a former Nazi building as their headquarters - though the American presence is less official than it once was the area is still a mini-american city with American looking schools, houses, shops, etc.
Sep 22nd, 2005, 04:56 AM
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The Love Parade is dead. It was cancelled this year. No money for cleaning and organisation work. Anyway, it had become quite commercial lately and the folks stayed away and went to Zurich instead (street parade).
Sep 22nd, 2005, 06:52 AM
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Was pleased to see you passed through "Prenzelberg" during your visit. P-berg was my 'base camp' on my most recent visit to Berlin. I slept at a Pension called Schall und Rauch (Smoke and Noise), an imaginatively-designed, comfortable and inexpensive place with an incredible breakfast buffet on weekends included in the room price. S&R is only steps from the Schoenhauser Allee S-Bahn stop, as well, making it easy to navigate elsewhere in Berlin quickly.
Also near the S-Bahn stop was a small and somewhat smoky internet cafe with very cheap rates for sending those emails home. A multiplex theater nearby provided me an opportunity to join German movie-goers to enjoy "Rache der Sith" one evening. And P-berg also contains the only actual hot-dog stand I ever saw in Europe -- not currywurst, but actual US-style hot dogs. Just in case one hungers for that sort of thing.
There are a number of interesting and reasonably priced restaurants around, all of which offer fascinating people-watching as a side benefit. If you're there in the warm seasons, sidewalk seating while dining seems to be the preferred mode.
The best part of P-berg for me was that it is far enough off the well-trod tourist routes to offer the visitor a real 'feel' for what life in that city must be like for Berliners, while still convenient to the most interesting sites and museums.
Fritzrl
Also near the S-Bahn stop was a small and somewhat smoky internet cafe with very cheap rates for sending those emails home. A multiplex theater nearby provided me an opportunity to join German movie-goers to enjoy "Rache der Sith" one evening. And P-berg also contains the only actual hot-dog stand I ever saw in Europe -- not currywurst, but actual US-style hot dogs. Just in case one hungers for that sort of thing.
There are a number of interesting and reasonably priced restaurants around, all of which offer fascinating people-watching as a side benefit. If you're there in the warm seasons, sidewalk seating while dining seems to be the preferred mode.
The best part of P-berg for me was that it is far enough off the well-trod tourist routes to offer the visitor a real 'feel' for what life in that city must be like for Berliners, while still convenient to the most interesting sites and museums.
Fritzrl
Sep 22nd, 2005, 10:05 AM
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Ingo - thanks for the Love Parade update - come to think i didn't see the usual clips of it on the news this year. I don't understand how such a popular event could die on the vine but i've read that the Zurich event is Europe's largest street party (maybe Hoogamany (sp?) in Edinburgh rivals but think Zurich's the tops now.
Fritzrl: thanks for your Prenelberg accounts! Any idea what that B&B charged? Address or phone? Sounds like a place i'd like to stay - just the name would draw me in, even though i don't smoke.
RATHAUS SCHONEBERG
Another site i haven't been to yet but is at the top of my list - the place where JFK made his stirring speech on June 26, 1963, uttering the now-famous words 'Ich bin ein Berliner' which i guess was a gaffe as Berliner supposedly means only a jam donut - just love those Berliners from bakeries myself - and not as JFK was meaning that we are all Berliners (residents) - anyway the words were spoken in front of Schoneberg's Rathaus, or city hall (just love that name for City Hall - 'Rat' house!) the speech was 15 years after the start of the Berlin Airlift and JFK was reassuring them of continued Allied support against any threats from the East. The square has been renamed John-F.-Kennedy-Platz (U-1 to station of same name).
the other famous words vigorously uttered by an American president in Berlin were Ronnie Reagan's 'Mister Gorbachev, tear down that wall,' but i don't know where that speech was - presumably someplace by the Wall.
Fritzrl: thanks for your Prenelberg accounts! Any idea what that B&B charged? Address or phone? Sounds like a place i'd like to stay - just the name would draw me in, even though i don't smoke.
RATHAUS SCHONEBERG
Another site i haven't been to yet but is at the top of my list - the place where JFK made his stirring speech on June 26, 1963, uttering the now-famous words 'Ich bin ein Berliner' which i guess was a gaffe as Berliner supposedly means only a jam donut - just love those Berliners from bakeries myself - and not as JFK was meaning that we are all Berliners (residents) - anyway the words were spoken in front of Schoneberg's Rathaus, or city hall (just love that name for City Hall - 'Rat' house!) the speech was 15 years after the start of the Berlin Airlift and JFK was reassuring them of continued Allied support against any threats from the East. The square has been renamed John-F.-Kennedy-Platz (U-1 to station of same name).
the other famous words vigorously uttered by an American president in Berlin were Ronnie Reagan's 'Mister Gorbachev, tear down that wall,' but i don't know where that speech was - presumably someplace by the Wall.
Sep 22nd, 2005, 10:20 AM
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PalQ -- Schall und Rauch is at Gleimstrasse 23, just a short walk from the intersection of Schoenhauser Allee, where the S-Bahn stop is. I believe I paid around 35 Euros per night for my single room, a special low rate because I stayed there 5 nights. Still, their 'regular' rate for a single isn't much more than that.
If you're still in Berlin at the weekend, the fabulous brunch at S&R starts at 10 AM, I think. Lunch and dinner menus are short, but have a good variety. Their cocktail bar is also excellent.
Also to note: the "Rat" in "Rathaus" means 'advice' -- so it's a house where the governing body receives advice from, or offers advice to, the governed. Sorry to burst your bubble
gt
Fritzrl
If you're still in Berlin at the weekend, the fabulous brunch at S&R starts at 10 AM, I think. Lunch and dinner menus are short, but have a good variety. Their cocktail bar is also excellent.
Also to note: the "Rat" in "Rathaus" means 'advice' -- so it's a house where the governing body receives advice from, or offers advice to, the governed. Sorry to burst your bubble
gtFritzrl
Sep 28th, 2005, 08:48 AM
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POTSDAM - A GREAT DAY TRIP
Potsdam, about 15 miles west-south-west of Berlin, is a fantastic day trip from Berlin.
Known as the Prussian Versailles, Potsdam was the royal retreat and the Sans-Souci Palace here is reminiscent of the Palace of Versailles. It was Frederick the Great who took this hunting retreat and turned it into one of the wonders of Europe in the 1700s.
Today a 740-acre park remains and is studded by delightful palaces, temples, formal gardens, memorials, a Chinese tea house, 'Roman baths', 'Neptune's Grotto, an orangery, etc. Most famous is Sans-Souci Palace, one of Europe's finest and then the New Palace.
NEXT: A POTSDAM WALK
Anyone's experiences with Potsdam would also be appreciated!
Potsdam, about 15 miles west-south-west of Berlin, is a fantastic day trip from Berlin.
Known as the Prussian Versailles, Potsdam was the royal retreat and the Sans-Souci Palace here is reminiscent of the Palace of Versailles. It was Frederick the Great who took this hunting retreat and turned it into one of the wonders of Europe in the 1700s.
Today a 740-acre park remains and is studded by delightful palaces, temples, formal gardens, memorials, a Chinese tea house, 'Roman baths', 'Neptune's Grotto, an orangery, etc. Most famous is Sans-Souci Palace, one of Europe's finest and then the New Palace.
NEXT: A POTSDAM WALK
Anyone's experiences with Potsdam would also be appreciated!
Sep 29th, 2005, 10:20 AM
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POTSDAM WALKS
Potsdam offers some great walks/hikes. Starting from the S-Bahn train station, cross the bridge heading toward the town centre - the highrise building on your right was the old Interhotel - the official DDR hotel - the tourist office is on the ground floor here - pick up appropriate maps, etc. Then head up the pedestrian shopping street - when i first walked up this street just after the Wall had come down it was desolate - just a few uninviting shops and unkempt shop fronts. All that has changed now however and the street is peppered with cafes and smart shops - take this street to Sans-Souci park and the Sans-Souci Palace.
For a long walk...
Climb up the hill behind the palace, following the tram line until you quickly come to the former Russian colony - with some typical Russian country house chalets - left over from the Russian community in the 1800s i believe - there are small farms, etc. - a bucolic setting.
then head down to Ruinberg - an old ruin of some kind topping a hill that offers a stunning view for miles around over the Havel (lake)
descend from Ruinberg to the lake and walk along the shore (in summer expect oodles of nude bathers here in good weather) and then encounter Glienicker Bridge - which once straddled the East and West German borders - the span is famous for the famous spies and dissidents that were exchanged here during the Cold War - Gary Power in 1962 and Sharantsky in 1986.
Cross the bridge and continue along the shore to Peacock Isle (described above) - hop the boat to the island and walk around there.
From here it's best to hop a bus back to the Wannsee S-Bahn station - or walk along the only road about two miles there.
There are buses also from Glienicker Bridge to Wannsee.
Potsdam offers some great walks/hikes. Starting from the S-Bahn train station, cross the bridge heading toward the town centre - the highrise building on your right was the old Interhotel - the official DDR hotel - the tourist office is on the ground floor here - pick up appropriate maps, etc. Then head up the pedestrian shopping street - when i first walked up this street just after the Wall had come down it was desolate - just a few uninviting shops and unkempt shop fronts. All that has changed now however and the street is peppered with cafes and smart shops - take this street to Sans-Souci park and the Sans-Souci Palace.
For a long walk...
Climb up the hill behind the palace, following the tram line until you quickly come to the former Russian colony - with some typical Russian country house chalets - left over from the Russian community in the 1800s i believe - there are small farms, etc. - a bucolic setting.
then head down to Ruinberg - an old ruin of some kind topping a hill that offers a stunning view for miles around over the Havel (lake)
descend from Ruinberg to the lake and walk along the shore (in summer expect oodles of nude bathers here in good weather) and then encounter Glienicker Bridge - which once straddled the East and West German borders - the span is famous for the famous spies and dissidents that were exchanged here during the Cold War - Gary Power in 1962 and Sharantsky in 1986.
Cross the bridge and continue along the shore to Peacock Isle (described above) - hop the boat to the island and walk around there.
From here it's best to hop a bus back to the Wannsee S-Bahn station - or walk along the only road about two miles there.
There are buses also from Glienicker Bridge to Wannsee.
Sep 30th, 2005, 06:36 AM
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More about the above walk...this is a long walk if you do it all - i didn't give idea of distances.
Potsdam S-Bahn station to Sans-Souci Palace about two miles
Sans-Souci to New Palace and back, going around park, about two miles
Sans-Souci to Russian Colony to Ruineberg about 1.5 miles
Ruineberg to Peacock Island about 2.5 miles
Peacock Island to Wannsee S-Bahn about 2 miles.
Potsdam S-Bahn station to Sans-Souci Palace about two miles
Sans-Souci to New Palace and back, going around park, about two miles
Sans-Souci to Russian Colony to Ruineberg about 1.5 miles
Ruineberg to Peacock Island about 2.5 miles
Peacock Island to Wannsee S-Bahn about 2 miles.
Oct 5th, 2005, 11:38 AM
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Author: aeiger
Date: 10/01/2005, 12:18 am
Hi
We just returned from Berlin and wanted to remind people that the Pergamon Museum is closing this year for renovations and wont reopen until 2010, I believe. It's a museum not to be missed. will write aboiut our trip shortly. We were in Dresden and Potsdam too.
Aeiger- hope you don't mind me copying your valuable news here. danke!
Date: 10/01/2005, 12:18 am
Hi
We just returned from Berlin and wanted to remind people that the Pergamon Museum is closing this year for renovations and wont reopen until 2010, I believe. It's a museum not to be missed. will write aboiut our trip shortly. We were in Dresden and Potsdam too.
Aeiger- hope you don't mind me copying your valuable news here. danke!
Oct 11th, 2005, 11:40 AM
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CHECKPOINT CHARLIE
Anyone who had the (mis)fortune in going to East Berlin before the wall crumbled probably went either thru station Friedrichstrasse's 'Palace of Tears' Allied checkpoint or the checkpoint a bit south of it on Friedrichstrasse at 'Checkpoint Charlie' - Friedrichstrasse was for entry by S-Bahn or U-Bahn travelers, foot and vehicular traffic went thru Checkpoint Charlie - there were a few other crossing points elsewhere in Berlin but these were the two major conduits. At either you could register with the Allied occupying authorities (French, British and American, each of whom had their own sectors of West Berlin - Charlie checkpoint was in the American sector and a sign left here as memorabilia still has the words: "you are now leaving the American sector" - a warning that you were entering East Berlin where the Allies could not help you, so you could register and then in case you ended up in the Gulag they would i guess check out your whereabouts. You also had to pay the DDR officials about $5 for a day visa to visit East Berlin - or as i remember had to change a bit of money for worthless DDR script - you had to spend it or lose it and there was precious little in the East worth buying - nearly no restaurants, coffeeshops, stores with anything good in them, etc.)
Anyway so Checkpoint Charlie was world famous - actually the Allies from West Berlin had free access to East Berlin under some post war accords and military jeeps, etc. could cross into the East. In any case the notion of 'leaving the American zone' could send chills down your spine, conjering up all kinds of bad thoughts. The east officials would inevitably search your bags looking for things like banned books. Today little is left of the checkpoint except the sign and the
HAUS AM CHECKPOINT CHARLIE
a tiny cluttered museum documenting the infamous history of the Wall - documenting escape attempts, devices used, etc. with a blizzard of photos and films. This is a private museum with a checkered history of poor relations with Berlin authorities - run by a seemingly cantakerous old guy he has fought to keep the museum in place and wished to have a preserved DDR guard tower and bits of the Wall left in place - i don't know if they've survived as the area is a sea of new construction, being prime real estate in the heart of Berlin's historic Mitte (center).
Pre-war Friedrichstrass was one of Berlin's classy shopping streets - after most of it was left in the East by the wall it deteriorated and was largely abandoned. After the Wall fell the street has been rehabbed - one of the first developments was the building housing the Galleries Lafayette department store - it's acclaimed modern architecture features i believe a giant pendulum.
The Checkpoint Charlie House has become a major Berlin sight and if you want to get a wiff of how horrible the Wall was there is no better place.
Anyone who had the (mis)fortune in going to East Berlin before the wall crumbled probably went either thru station Friedrichstrasse's 'Palace of Tears' Allied checkpoint or the checkpoint a bit south of it on Friedrichstrasse at 'Checkpoint Charlie' - Friedrichstrasse was for entry by S-Bahn or U-Bahn travelers, foot and vehicular traffic went thru Checkpoint Charlie - there were a few other crossing points elsewhere in Berlin but these were the two major conduits. At either you could register with the Allied occupying authorities (French, British and American, each of whom had their own sectors of West Berlin - Charlie checkpoint was in the American sector and a sign left here as memorabilia still has the words: "you are now leaving the American sector" - a warning that you were entering East Berlin where the Allies could not help you, so you could register and then in case you ended up in the Gulag they would i guess check out your whereabouts. You also had to pay the DDR officials about $5 for a day visa to visit East Berlin - or as i remember had to change a bit of money for worthless DDR script - you had to spend it or lose it and there was precious little in the East worth buying - nearly no restaurants, coffeeshops, stores with anything good in them, etc.)
Anyway so Checkpoint Charlie was world famous - actually the Allies from West Berlin had free access to East Berlin under some post war accords and military jeeps, etc. could cross into the East. In any case the notion of 'leaving the American zone' could send chills down your spine, conjering up all kinds of bad thoughts. The east officials would inevitably search your bags looking for things like banned books. Today little is left of the checkpoint except the sign and the
HAUS AM CHECKPOINT CHARLIE
a tiny cluttered museum documenting the infamous history of the Wall - documenting escape attempts, devices used, etc. with a blizzard of photos and films. This is a private museum with a checkered history of poor relations with Berlin authorities - run by a seemingly cantakerous old guy he has fought to keep the museum in place and wished to have a preserved DDR guard tower and bits of the Wall left in place - i don't know if they've survived as the area is a sea of new construction, being prime real estate in the heart of Berlin's historic Mitte (center).
Pre-war Friedrichstrass was one of Berlin's classy shopping streets - after most of it was left in the East by the wall it deteriorated and was largely abandoned. After the Wall fell the street has been rehabbed - one of the first developments was the building housing the Galleries Lafayette department store - it's acclaimed modern architecture features i believe a giant pendulum.
The Checkpoint Charlie House has become a major Berlin sight and if you want to get a wiff of how horrible the Wall was there is no better place.
Oct 12th, 2005, 07:45 AM
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POTSDAMER PLATZ REBORN
In pre-war Berlin Potsdamer Platz was a commercial and social hub - totally blitzed during the war and carted away as rubble the area remained totally derelict for years because the wall ran right by it. After the fall of the wall construction began to re-create the vibrant Potsdamer Platz of pre-war Berlin - the new buildings feature high-rise architecturally striking buildings of the Sony-Center and DaimlerCity towers. The new 'square' is actually circular and the center, surrounded by high-rises, is enclosed and full of cafes - a rather pleasant place but one that seems to suffer from a warmth or ambience. Anyway, it's worth a look to see a key part of the new Berlin.
Near Potsdamer Platz, in a grassy plot near the intersection of Wilhemstrasse and Vossstrasse is the location of Hitler's underground bunker. Leipzigerstrasse, which comes out of Potsdamer Platz and runs east is lined by some of the few remaining Nazi era buildings - still rather impressive.
In pre-war Berlin Potsdamer Platz was a commercial and social hub - totally blitzed during the war and carted away as rubble the area remained totally derelict for years because the wall ran right by it. After the fall of the wall construction began to re-create the vibrant Potsdamer Platz of pre-war Berlin - the new buildings feature high-rise architecturally striking buildings of the Sony-Center and DaimlerCity towers. The new 'square' is actually circular and the center, surrounded by high-rises, is enclosed and full of cafes - a rather pleasant place but one that seems to suffer from a warmth or ambience. Anyway, it's worth a look to see a key part of the new Berlin.
Near Potsdamer Platz, in a grassy plot near the intersection of Wilhemstrasse and Vossstrasse is the location of Hitler's underground bunker. Leipzigerstrasse, which comes out of Potsdamer Platz and runs east is lined by some of the few remaining Nazi era buildings - still rather impressive.
Oct 13th, 2005, 11:20 AM
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THE OLYMPIC STADIUM
As I said in the beginning, part of Berlin's lure to me is its Nazi past and seeing the relics that bring to mind the horrors perpetrated not that long ago by such a very 'civilized' European country. Very few relics of that era survived the war but the Olympic Stadium did and today is still used for major sporting events. The 85,000-seat stadium, built by Hitler as a showpiece for the 1936 Olympic games, was also to serve as a stage for German and Aryan superiority. The Nazi machine, much like the DDR would do later, put a huge emphasis on sports to show the world its power. But when American Jesse Owens stole the spotlight by beating the German stars when he won four gold medals and Hitler had to begrudginly acknowledge his voctories from his box, the effort backfired a bit.
Anyway the scene of such a momentous and historic occasion appears much now as it did then - though rehabbed into a modern facility, the stadium still sits in a verdant green cacoon, being surrounded by parks and Olympic installations. Seeing the stade itself is unremarkable but seeing the place where such a famous event occured is worth the price of admission. (Take U-Bahn line 2 to Olympia-Stadium Ost stop and walk a few minutes to the entrance.)
As I said in the beginning, part of Berlin's lure to me is its Nazi past and seeing the relics that bring to mind the horrors perpetrated not that long ago by such a very 'civilized' European country. Very few relics of that era survived the war but the Olympic Stadium did and today is still used for major sporting events. The 85,000-seat stadium, built by Hitler as a showpiece for the 1936 Olympic games, was also to serve as a stage for German and Aryan superiority. The Nazi machine, much like the DDR would do later, put a huge emphasis on sports to show the world its power. But when American Jesse Owens stole the spotlight by beating the German stars when he won four gold medals and Hitler had to begrudginly acknowledge his voctories from his box, the effort backfired a bit.
Anyway the scene of such a momentous and historic occasion appears much now as it did then - though rehabbed into a modern facility, the stadium still sits in a verdant green cacoon, being surrounded by parks and Olympic installations. Seeing the stade itself is unremarkable but seeing the place where such a famous event occured is worth the price of admission. (Take U-Bahn line 2 to Olympia-Stadium Ost stop and walk a few minutes to the entrance.)
Oct 13th, 2005, 01:56 PM
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Hi
Palenques, I enjoy reading your journal. We returned from Berlin 2 wks ago. Our hotel, the Movenpick was right down the street from the Anthaler Bahnhof. Everyday leaving the hotel it stood as a memorial. At night it's lit up and looks almost ghostly. We also walked from Museum Isle to Brandenberg Gate on Unter Den Linden. It's very busy and commercial though in spots. We stopped for a Doner at one of the stands there for lunch. Saw the Unter Den Linden Hotel and was glad we stayed at the Movenpick instead. It's a very busy location. It's a really nice walk. The Topography of Terror, I had some difficulty understanding the fact that it ran out of money and its construction is delayed. I only wish some of the picture signs were in
English also,it was difficult to translate it all, though the pictures told a horrifying story.
Palenques, I enjoy reading your journal. We returned from Berlin 2 wks ago. Our hotel, the Movenpick was right down the street from the Anthaler Bahnhof. Everyday leaving the hotel it stood as a memorial. At night it's lit up and looks almost ghostly. We also walked from Museum Isle to Brandenberg Gate on Unter Den Linden. It's very busy and commercial though in spots. We stopped for a Doner at one of the stands there for lunch. Saw the Unter Den Linden Hotel and was glad we stayed at the Movenpick instead. It's a very busy location. It's a really nice walk. The Topography of Terror, I had some difficulty understanding the fact that it ran out of money and its construction is delayed. I only wish some of the picture signs were in
English also,it was difficult to translate it all, though the pictures told a horrifying story.
Oct 14th, 2005, 07:36 AM
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KAISER-WILHELM CHURCH RUINS
Opposite the Zoo station in the heart of West Berlin stands the partial remains of the this monumental church, which was largely destroyed by Allied bombs on Nov 22, 1943. Left in its forlorn state as a monument testifying to the horrors of war - though a new apendage with striking stained-glass windows has been built next to the old structure, only built in 1895 cooresponding to Berlin's huge growth during that era, the church, as to European standards is neither old nor actually very exceptional. So in its half-ruined state it has become much more a landmark than it was when it was intact. In fact, along with the Brandenburg Gate the visage of the church ruins has become a symbol of Berlin.
aeiger- thanks for you inputs - always interested hearing of others Berlin experiences!
Opposite the Zoo station in the heart of West Berlin stands the partial remains of the this monumental church, which was largely destroyed by Allied bombs on Nov 22, 1943. Left in its forlorn state as a monument testifying to the horrors of war - though a new apendage with striking stained-glass windows has been built next to the old structure, only built in 1895 cooresponding to Berlin's huge growth during that era, the church, as to European standards is neither old nor actually very exceptional. So in its half-ruined state it has become much more a landmark than it was when it was intact. In fact, along with the Brandenburg Gate the visage of the church ruins has become a symbol of Berlin.
aeiger- thanks for you inputs - always interested hearing of others Berlin experiences!
