East Germany Part 2: Berlin

If you haven’t been to Berlin, or Europe generally, this East German city is a must. An explosion of war history and cultural splendor, Berlin seems ever in the crosshairs of ideology and struggle. In only the last century, it has felt the tides of Nazism, Communism, economic ruin, liberty, modernity, and multiculturalism. Our meager three days were quite a crash course in each category.

We rode in by bus from Dresden and settled into our apartment on the East side of the old wall. Our introduction to the neighborhood was through its culinary diversity, with our dining lineup in the first 48 hours as follows: Indian, Vietnamese, Thai, and Mexican (after a “Bahamas” bar with sandy floors and palm trees). Additionally, we picked one of the many vegan places, had some more Indian, and Devin got Curry Wurst from a famous stand under the bridge. After his very interesting haircut experience in the predominantly Arabian neighborhood (his nose and ears were on fire at one point), we spent several hours wandering the “hipster” West side with its typically trendy coffee shops and novelty establishments.

Of course, a walking tour was just what we needed to make sense of the many cultural and historical layers. Our guide was especially energetic and insightful – enough to keep 30 people riveted in 45F weather for nearly three hours. We started at the Brandenburg gate and got caught up on German history before the 19^th century. Passing the modern Capitol buildings, we heard about WWI and the financial struggles that followed. Nazi architecture was next, and we stood in the now parking lot directly above Hitler’s suicide bunker, next to the park where the body was discarded and unsuccessfully burned by his fleeing guards.

From there we zigzagged for a bit along a brick path, running the whole length of downtown, representing the location of the Berlin Wall - only part of which remains today. Ubiquitous Communist architecture and public propaganda provide a sort of blast-from-the-past, given East Berlin’s continuing economic struggles and inabilities to rebuild and modernize, unlike its Western half. Even today, one may pass entire families on the street who have only been reunited as of 30 years ago, some discovering that spouses and even children had been spying on them for decades or were even responsible for the disappearing of particular loved ones with unapproved political thoughts. From Nazi vets to Communist spies, from German and Russian identities to a swirling mix of immigration and international student life, Berlin is a dizzying mural of European endeavors.

The remaining part of the wall.

The German Reichstag

The Berlin Duomo

Another beautiful church, amazingly unscathed throughout wartime.

We appreciated the many monuments and museums, often free of charge, that help piece together Berlin’s history and accent its very real and deeply human aspects. Most striking was the Jewish holocaust memorial, an entire city block dedicated to a powerful artistic expression of the magnitude of suffering and death, with an underground museum containing a seemingly endless amount of pictures, writings and artifacts from those affected by the concentration camps. One great lesson to be learned is that racism against Jews is unique in human history: it has always been marked by an exterminationist intent. Marked not merely by a dislike or an avoidance of the hated, or a desire to see them set back or exploited, but a pathological obsession with their complete annihilation. Further, Jew hatred never stops with just the Jews; how many non-Jews suffered and died because of Hitler's war on the Jews?

Also striking was the “dead zone” between East and West Berlin, a sandy area seeded with mines and sharp objects, between the two parts of the wall that had top edges designed to be insurmountable, and patrolled 24/7 by dogs and snipers on a kill order. We heard several incredible stories of brave individuals who found ingenious ways to get across, including zip lines, pole vaults and even catapults. It is quite telling when a country has to build a wall… to keep people IN. 

A section of the East Side Gallery (a mural painted on a portion of the remaining part of the wall).

Overall, we left Berlin with twice as many questions as observations, with very satisfied stomachs, and with an unfolding desire to visit again soon – or more than just visit??