Berrlin & Potsdam

 We spent two days exploring Potsdam and Berlin.  When we were there in 1991 and again in 1993, there was such a sharp contrast between East and West, that doesn’t quite exist anymore.  It’s hard to even see where the Berlin Wall once was unless it was an area that was marked.  We have to keep reminding ourselves, that was 20 years ago and of course things change.

In Potsdam we took a train to the hoptbahnhof Potsdam (train station) and then took a recommended guided tour of the city.  We stopped at Schloss (castle) San Souci and learned about King Fredrick II and his time on the throne in 18^th Century.  We also saw the Russian prison where many famous and infamous people were held.  The most impressive thing about Potsdam is that it’s still in construction-mode.  According to our tour guide, most of the homes and large buildings that are being remodeled and brought back to their glory are being funded by private funds.

Berlin is a tourist destination town.  Check Point Charlie is manned by German actors wearing US Army uniforms holding US Flags.  For two Euros you can have your picture taken with them with Check Point Charlie in the background.   We learned that they are actually two Brandenburg Gates, one in Potsdam and its famous twin in Berlin.  There are huge soccer tournaments happening right now, so there’s a jumbo-tron set up in front of the Berlin Brandenburg Gate and lots of people wearing all sorts of German Flags and German Football gear.  When we were returning from Berlin back to our campground, we had flashbacks of returning to our hotel in Boston after a Sox game.  Loud, drunk, happy fans crowding the subway and trains; fans and a love for sports teams seem to be universal.

In Berlin we walked amongst The Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe which is the Holocaust memorial for Germany.  The memorial consists of a Field of Stelae and is made up of 2711 concrete blocks of varying heights.  One thing we heard over and over is that the coating on the concrete blocks to prevent graffiti (which is prevalent in Berlin) to stick was being applied by a sister company to a company that provided the gas, Zyklon B  for the concentration camps gas chambers.  After long conversations, they decided to allow the company to complete their contract and the company took no payment for their work. 

At the information center there is a long piece of the Berlin Wall that they have left intact.  Running parallel to the wall are story boards with the history of the Natzi Party and they tell about impact it had on the people and lands in Berlin.  It told story after story of Gypsies, Jews, people who were mentally and physically disabled from within the city that were transported to concentration camps, never to be seen again.  There was a picture of a six year old little girl who had epilepsy and parents sent her to a hospital to see what they could do to help her get better.  Alongside the picture is a letter from her father to the hospital asking when the visiting hours are for the new place she was at and when they could go and see her.  She was transported just days before to a camp and just disappeared.  Story after story of heartbreak and cruelty lined the wall.