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What a thought provoking visit to East and West Berlin today. I am blown away by the complexity of this city’s history. It is probably the most schizophrenic major city because for 42 years, it held two distinctly different cultures and served at least two masters. One with a thriving, modern economy, and citizens who were free to move around; the other, oppressed, repressed, and a wing of the Soviet Union. Yet, neither had full civil rights as part of Germany.
Everywhere there are markers of its dark Nazi past, its occupation by Russia, the devastation of war, and the massive abuses of power. At the same time, hope shines today, in this city of renovation, creation, and construction cranes. Guilt-ridden by the shame of Nazi Germany’s horrors, Berlin has attempted to shed its past by demolishing most sites associated with that era, and rebuilding using the latest advances in technology and the most contemporary architectural styles.
What struck me is how pivotal a role Berlin played as a pawn between the US and Russia during the cold War. One perceived misstep by one side and one overreaction by the other could have easily led to WWIII. The Checkpoint Charlie incident in 1961, is one such example of American and Russian tanks coming head to head in a stand-off that had the world’s attention. There was posturing on both sides, but the Potsdam agreement intervened to prevent an irrevocable and fatal move.
Our Agenda
After breakfast at 7, I met my small, private tour group for our 3 hour coach ride into the city. The ship docked at (Warnemunde).
Our first stops were visits to Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, Potsdamer Platz, Tiergarten, and Ku Damn. Then we went to the Brandenburg Gate and WALKED THRU IT, the Reichstag, Sections of the Berlin Wall, Checkpoint Charlie (more people visited this than Rome in 2009), The Book Burning Memorial, The site of Hitler’s Bunker (and where he committed suicide as Russian tanks pulled into Berlin), and the moving Memorial to The Murdered Jews.
1/3 of the city is covered by natural attractions---gardens, lakes, woodlands, and parks.
Our tour guide, Dereck from Toronto was knowledgeable and passion about his subject.
We heard lots of stories of the building of the wall, gripping tales of ingenious escape attempts, and scenes of ecstatic Berliners poring thru the gates and tearing down the wall in 1989.
We even saw the buildings were the Valkerie Plot was conceived and where Hitler drafted his first plans for world domination, (long before the start of WWII).
We were thoroughly satisfied with our tour. The weather was pleasant—warm, and sunny.
We had traditional Bavarian fare for lunch. (my pretzel was good, my veal sausage was edible).
Some things I learned
Angela Merkel grew up in East Germany under Soviet rule. (first German ruler to grow up in under communism)
Hitler likely used the fire at the Reichstag as an excuse to launch his assault on Jews and communists and to broaden the Aryan empire. Shortly after that incident, he transformed Germany from a democracy to a dictatorship where all civil rights were expunged.
The US airlifted supplies into Germany for more than a year when Stalin attempted a blockade of West Berlin. West Berlin was such a potent symbol—the Allies fought to hold onto it. Stalin eventually reopened the roadways giving access.
There were two walls: an inner wall that separated East and West Berlin and an outer wall that surrounded the entire city to control the flow in and out of Soviet East Berlin.
We made it back to the ship before 9, for a 10PM departure.
I love standing out on deck watching this ship pull away. The townspeople of Warnemunde waved us goodbye.
It is still light outside!
Tomorrow: a day at sea
Have not watched the news since ship left London
