Just got back from 4 1/2 days in the capital city of Germany, Berlin. It's a city that never stops changing. Last time I visited was in 2006 right before the demolition of the Palace of the Republic. On Monday I was in the vicinity of the Berliner Dom (Cathedral) and felt like something was missing... well, the big orange metallic monstrosity of building was no longer. To complete and integrate this quarter of Berlin, Germany has decided to rebuild part of the former Stadtschloss, a fake Baroque copy of the palace. It's a controversial decision which only time and construction will tell how it turns out.
Despite horrible rain Saturday through Monday, I managed to walk all around Potsdam, including the site of the famous Potsdam Agreement between Truman, Stalin, and Churchill. I also visited the new DDR (East German Republic) interactive museum which seeks to show what life was like during communism and under surveillance of the state. It was pretty neat, but way overcrowded. I think perhaps worse then DC's Spy Museum. One crazy fact I learned was that preschoolers all had to squat on toilets at the same time - that is there was joint potty time if you can imagine. I also dropped by a new exhibition on the Stasi (secret police) and watched some of their surveillance film of people taking walks in parks, youth hanging out on the streets, athletes competing, etc. East Germany was one of the most heavily watched societies in the world.
We also went on a free tour offered by the Sandeman company. Our guide Barry from Ireland was outstanding. He provided just the right amount of historical context without overwhelming us with facts. One of his themes was the reuse of different sites or monuments in Berlin to meet the needs of the changing ruling regimes. At the Memorial to the Victims of War and Tyranny - a site used both by the Nazis as well as the East German regime there now stands a poignant sculpture of a mother with her dead son by Kathe Kollwitz. The city is simply teaming with history.
Well, there's so much more I could say, but I'll stop there for now. If you'd like to check out pictures from my travels click here to several galleries.
