Excursion to Berlin!

I honestly did and saw so much in Berlin, that I had to take out my excursion program to remember all that happened this past weekend. First of all, the weather was stunning. It was warm and sunny, and the autumn leaves looked beautiful against the tall buildings. My excursion group and I arrived around lunch time on Thursday and walked around West Berlin a bit to find food before beginning the bus tour. I was able to admire some of the scenery by the Berlin ZOB Zoo:

 

Next up was the bus tour. Though interesting, it went through the main sites quite quickly so I didn't get to see and admire as much as I would have liked (at least not through a bus window). What I did catch, however, was really quite interesting and I consulted by Berlin travel guide for more information:

This is the Olympiastadion, built for the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin. I was happy because we were able to get off the bus and take pictures in front of the massive structure. This stadium was designed in the Nazi architectural style and contains architectural components that were influenced by that of ancient Rome. Inside, giant grandstands surround the field and everything comes together as an enormous amphitheater.

Don't the fall leaves look so pretty? I was surprised by how many parks there were in such a large city. It was interesting how they intermingled so perfectly among the buildings. Beneath the tree picture is the Siegessӓule, or Triumphal Column. I apologize that you cannot see the whole thing because I took it quickly from a moving bus!! Anyway, the Column was built to commemorate the victory in the Prusso-Danish war in 1864. A gold figure representing "Victory" was added to the top and she points to France reminding the country that Germany won that war. Here is how it actually looks thanks to Google images:

 

We also drove past the Bundesrat! The Bundesrat is responsible for federal policy, defends the federal states' interests, and serves as a link between the Federal Government and the Federal states. Almost 50 percent of all the laws passed in Germany require the Bundesrat's approval.

Next up, we were able to get off the bus and visit the Holocaust Memorial. It is more formally known as the "Monument to the Murdered Jews in Europe." I gave my presentation here on the topic, so I know lots about this. The architect for this memorial was not German, but rather American! His name was Peter Eisenmann and the project was completed in 2005. Eisenmann received both praise and criticism for his design. The memorial is made up of 2,711 five-sided slabs of stone of different sizes and shapes. They bear no markings, dates, or names. The slabs undulate in a wave-like pattern, as do the paths shaped between the slabs. This is representative of the groundlessness, instability, and disorientation of the Holocaust. One can walk in any direction and find themselves getting lost among the dips in the paths and dark shadows cast by the slabs.

 

After visiting the memorial, we drove (very quickly!! too quickly!!) past Brandenburg Gate. This is all I caught until I went back two days later to take pictures with friends (which have not been uploaded just yet!). Here is the side view :)

At night it is absolutely stunning- it is all lit up with red and green lights!

After the bus tour was over, we arrived at our meeting place to listen to Carsten Sieling give a talk on German political processes, as well as hold a Q and A. Mr. Sieling is a member of the Social Democratic Party and has been a member of Parliament for the Bremen constituency since 2009.  Before, from 2004 to 2006, he served as the state chairman for the Social Democratic Party (SPD) in Bremen. It was very nice meeting him and listening to him speak, especially because he represents Bremen (home to Jacobs Uni!). I wish I knew and understood more politics, because I struggled coming up with a decent question to ask him. Mr. Sieling was a very kind man though and certainly passionate about what he does! This was me in the main square before going in to meet with him:

WELL, by this point we were all quite hungry so my friends and I went to a restaurant called "Neumanns." It was SO GOOD. And I got to have my first Berliner Weisse!

 

I was content after that. But despite being exhausted and very full, there was still more to do. A group of my friends and I headed to East Berlin that night to check out some of the bars. We came across one called The Lounge which had drinks with very interesting names. Mine was called the Flying Kangaroo....?

 

Safe to say I slept very well that night.

I can't believe how much I have already written about the first several hours. At 8:30 the next morning we all got back on the bus and headed to the Hohenschonhausen. This is the Stasi Communist prison created after the Soviets occupied East Berlin.

It was a prison for essentially anyone who opposed (or was suspected of opposing) the GDR and its Communist policies. The Stasi (police) arrested thousands of people and interrogated them asking for names of fellow opposers among other things. People were imprisoned here and were forbidden from having contact with their families. In some cases, some of the prisoners' children were even given up for adoption. Other times, the psychological abuse such as being put in isolation or being locked in a cell with 12 other people (including decomposing corpses) led entirely innocent people to confess to actions of which they took no part. It was absolutely horrible. The prison finally closed after the fall of the Berlin wall.

 

I think we all deserved a break after listening to our tour guide tell us so much of that information. We went to Alexander-Platz right after and my friend Maia and I did some much needed clothing and jewelry shopping!! I will spare the details on that though ;)

Around 4pm we headed to the Reichstag Building for a tour. This building is very important in Berlin. It is home to the Bundestag, which was newly elected upon German reunification in 1990. It is a meeting place for the German parliament, particularly important figures such as the Federal President (Joachim Gauck) and Federal Chancellor (Angela Merkel).

My favorite part was going up into the dome (representing the German people as the highest influence in the Welfare State) and looking out onto the Berlin skyline at night.

My friends and I then headed over to Haus Der 100 Bier! It's a famous pub located on the Ku'damm. We had more incredible food and a great, great time together!! Until the check came :)

 

I (fortunately) was able to sleep in on Saturday morning. Around 10:15, I went to the Neues Museum, which is home to Ancient Egyptian art and artifacts, including the famous Bust of Nefertiti! The museum was BEAUTIFUL. I could have spent all day in there reading every panel, taking my time with the audio tour, and admiring every ancient artifact within the museum walls.

 

                                The body's insides were put in these jars before mummification

After my museum trip, it was almost time to go. Our bus was on its way to Potsdamer Platz, the famous shopping center and home to the Sony Tower, but it made some important (still quick) stops along the way.

In order, here we go:

Checkpoint Charlie:

The Berlin Wall:

Finally, we arrived in the beautiful Potsdamer Platz where I had an incredible chicken curry wrap and some yummy German chocolate pastries.

We then went back to Bremen! I fell asleep instantly.

If I learned one thing on the trip, it's that all of Berlin can't be done in just two and a half days. Oh, and the red Berliner Weisse flavor is much better than the green flavor. Prost!