Yesterday we had a full day with a chance to visit Berlin. Our ship docked at Rostock Germany which is ~3 hour train ride from Berlin. There was a chartered train that took us + 600 of our new friends to Berlin for the day :). I mentioned earlier how impressed we are with Viking - those good first impressions continue. They handle logistical challenges with ease, the food has been really good and the people providing the services are just wonderful.
Our day in Berlin was definitely interesting. On this trip we had the opportunity to visit many locations with so much history from long ago. In Berlin a lot of the historic moments happened close to or during our lifetime. It was very interesting to see the places and things that shaped history in person. Just to let you know, this post will share a lot of history to provide some context to what we saw. Below is a picture of the map showing how Germany and Berlin were divided after WW II. The small withe dot in the middle of East Germany is where Berlin is located. So you can see how far into East Germany West Berlin was located.
One story that was really inspirational was how the Americans, British and French rallied to save West Berlin in 1948 when the Soviets decided to block all of the supply routes through East Germany. The airport, which the Americans had helped to repair and expand after the end of the war, was used for an amazing airlift operation. We learned that planes arrived every 3 minutes delivering much needed food, drink, medicine, supplies, etc. to West Berlin. This lasted for over 9 months until the blockade was finally lifted. Truly a lifeline - and listening to our guide from West Berlin - they haven't forgotten.
We arrived in Berlin mid morning and started with a visit to Brandenburg Gate. Built in 1791, it is one of the best known landmarks in Germany. The gate has been the site of many major historical events. Napoleon was the first to use it for a triumphal procession after his defeat of Prussia in 1806. When Hitler and the Nazis ascended into power, they used it as a symbol of their party's strength. The gate was closed on August 14, 1961 when East Germany closed the border around West Berlin and began constructing the Berlin Wall.
The Brandenburg Gate remained closed until December 22, 1989 when the Berlin Wall around the gate came down. A famous speech by Ronald Reagan in 1987 at the gate precipitated the end of the wall. Here is an excerpt I am sure you remember hearing if you were alive at the time. "General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, if you seek liberalization: Come here to this gate. Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate. Mr. Gorbachev - Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!". Our guide heard this speech and said that even though it was inspiring, no one thought it would actually happen. But it did. Afterwards, the gate was seen as a symbol of freedom and unification.
Our next stop was the German Parliament building - the Reichstag. It was originally constructed in 1871 to house the Parliament of the German Empire. With the fall of the Empire in 1918, it remained the house for the German Parliament - now a democracy. This continued until 1933 when it was severely damaged by fire shortly after Hitler became Chancellor. Although no proof, many believe he had a role in the destruction although he blamed the Communists. Hitler used the opportunity to declare the need for greater control to 'protect' Germany and quickly suspended most rights that had been provided by the Weimar Constitution in 1919. After WW II, the building was located in West Berlin but only a few meters from the border with East Berlin. It had been badly damaged during the war and remained vacant and unused for many years. It was repaired and reopened in 1964. After reunification, the decision was made to significantly upgrade the Reichstag including the addition of a glass dome. The dome provides beautiful views of the surrounding city. Additionally, the dome sits above the main hall of parliament which can be seen by the public. The idea is to demonstrate the new openness and transparency of the government. The updates were completed in 1999 and it was reopened for parliamentary use as well as public access.
We had a special treat with lunch in their rooftop restaurant located directly next to the dome. After lunch we had an opportunity to walk the spiral walkways that provide access to the top of the dome. It really was a cool experience. Here's some pictures from outside the restaurant and also within the dome.
Next up was a stop at the Berlin Cathedral. Another beautiful church. The highlight was an organ concert by the cathedral's organist. He spent a few minutes talking to us - he is so passionate about what he does - always cool to meet folks who love what they do and want to share it with you.
We drove through the city for a bit - here are some pictures.
Why not... :)
Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church - damaged during WW II air raid.
Statue representing the two parts of Berlin / Germany - together but separate.
TV Tower modeled to look like Sputnik to highlight the Soviet "dominance" at the time.
Checkpoint Charlie was a crossing point between East and West Berlin - this was our next stop. This was the location of a very tense stand-off that occurred between US and Soviet tanks in August 1961. It started when the East Berlin border guard challenged an American attempting to cross the border. This was in direct conflict with the agreement in place that allowed free movement of Allied forces in Berlin. By October 27 there were ten Soviet and ten American tanks facing each other just 100 yards apart. Thankfully, the stand-off ended peacefully on October 28 when the US and Soviets agreed to both withdraw the tanks. The Attorney General at the time, Robert Kennedy, played a vital role in negotiating the agreement.
Our final stop before taking the 3 hour train ride back to the ship was to see a large section of the Berlin Wall. Oh my. I will share some of the facts and history but I know my words will be insufficient in communicating the feeling. When we were there we didn't just hear and see - we felt. Before the wall was built 3.5M+ East Germans, representing 20% of the population, circumvented the emigration restrictions and escaped to West Germany. Most of the people escaped by going to West Berlin. They tended to be young and well educated with a significant number of engineers, doctors, teachers, lawyers and other skilled workers. To stop it, the East Germans and Soviets decided to erect a wall around West Berlin.
In the distance you can see the other wall - trying to give a sense of the "death zone" area between the inner and outer walls.
As our guide told us, people went out or to bed on August 12, 1961 only to discover the next morning that there was a new barbed-wire barrier blocking the border. It was horrific. She shared a picture of an apartment building that was right on the border - the building was in East Berlin but the sidewalk in front of it was in West Berlin. Many people jumped out of the windows of the building to try to get to West Berlin before the windows were sealed with bricks - unfortunately a number of them died.
The initial barbed wire fence was replaced by the Berlin Wall - which was more than a simple wall. There was actually an inner and outer wall with an open area in between that often had land mines, razor wire, spikes or other deterrents. This wall encircled the free area of West Berlin and it was done by the other side. As our guide said, there is no other historical or contemporary comparison. It was 155 km with 302 watchtowers. Here is a picture showing an architectural drawing.
I realized long ago I tend to show my feelings on my face. I didn't realize that would be the case in these pictures until we were looking at them afterwards. It started at Checkpoint Charlie but the wall was so much worse. A mixture of disgust, disbelief, sadness and anger.
A long, and somewhat tiring day, but well worth it. As is often said, it's important to remember and learn from history so we don't repeat past mistakes and keep finding ways to make this world a better place. Here's hoping we all keep making the world the best it can be.
Enjoy the Ride!
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