Day two in Berlin dawned rainy and cold, but that didn't really make much difference for our plans. Above is the view of the courtyard from our hotel room balcony. We were way out on the southeast edge of the city, near one of the airports. The room was comfy enough,but there really wasn't anything nearby to see, so it was onto the bus for a drive back into the city.
Our destination was Checkpoint Charlie, which was once a very bleak site, but now stands as a memorial to those who risked their life to escape out of East Berlin. Along the way, we passed through several neighborhoods, with folks on their way to work or school, as in the pictures above and below.
There is a huge museum, seen below, right next to Checkpoint Charlie on Friedrichstrasse. The guy in the cap on the right is our tour guide Ivan, a very pleasant fellow who helped make our trip enjoyable.
The museum had many many exhibits devoted to telling the story of the city divided during the Cold War, and the efforts of many to escape from the East. There were tunnels, armored cars used to blast through the checkpoint, hidden compartments in vehicles and trailers and such, even a hot air balloon. Something that also comes across very strongly is how isolated the westerners felt as well, surrounded on all sides by Soviet controlled districts. This was definitely one of the best parts of the trip for a historian like me, since it helped emphasize something I knew but never really
felt until seeing the stark evidence of what things were like there only a little over twenty years ago.
After leaving the museum, Ben, Bill, Molly and I walked up Friedrichstrasse to explore the neighborhood a little more. This doorway was something we passed, and I like how I captured Bill's reflection in the picture.
And here's one of the more contemporary apartment buildings, just a few blocks from Checkpoint Charlie. The architecture in Berlin is all over the place, from medieval to modern with all kinds of stuff in between. Unlike other places I've visited in Europe, they are all mixed together too, as opposed to having strictly new and old neighborhoods. In many ways, Berlin reminded me of New York or Los Angeles, as (for obvious reasons) the new tended to dominate the landscape.
Day two in Berlin dawned rainy and cold, but that didn't really make much difference for our plans. Above is the view of the courtyard from our hotel room balcony. We were way out on the southeast edge of the city, near one of the airports. The room was comfy enough,but there really wasn't anything nearby to see, so it was onto the bus for a drive back into the city.
Our destination was Checkpoint Charlie, which was once a very bleak site, but now stands as a memorial to those who risked their life to escape out of East Berlin. Along the way, we passed through several neighborhoods, with folks on their way to work or school, as in the pictures above and below.
There is a huge museum, seen below, right next to Checkpoint Charlie on Friedrichstrasse. The guy in the cap on the right is our tour guide Ivan, a very pleasant fellow who helped make our trip enjoyable. 
The museum had many many exhibits devoted to telling the story of the city divided during the Cold War, and the efforts of many to escape from the East. There were tunnels, armored cars used to blast through the checkpoint, hidden compartments in vehicles and trailers and such, even a hot air balloon. Something that also comes across very strongly is how isolated the westerners felt as well, surrounded on all sides by Soviet controlled districts. This was definitely one of the best parts of the trip for a historian like me, since it helped emphasize something I knew but never really felt until seeing the stark evidence of what things were like there only a little over twenty years ago.
After leaving the museum, Ben, Bill, Molly and I walked up Friedrichstrasse to explore the neighborhood a little more. This doorway was something we passed, and I like how I captured Bill's reflection in the picture.
And here's one of the more contemporary apartment buildings, just a few blocks from Checkpoint Charlie. The architecture in Berlin is all over the place, from medieval to modern with all kinds of stuff in between. Unlike other places I've visited in Europe, they are all mixed together too, as opposed to having strictly new and old neighborhoods. In many ways, Berlin reminded me of New York or Los Angeles, as (for obvious reasons) the new tended to dominate the landscape.
2 comments:
I am enjoying your pictures, John.
I was in Berlin the same day the Checkpoint Charlie guard house was removed. They wouldn't allow anyone near the site and were told to come back later in the evening. Was pretty neat to have been there (coincidentally) on a day so important.
Many of your pictures are very familiar. In fact, I have a picture of the group I traveled with sitting around that same fountain.
Jennifer,
I'm glad you're enjoying the photos. That's pretty cool that you were there while the changes were still unfolding like that. Berlin is unique among the places in Europe I've visited in that the most celebrated (if that's the right term) part of its history is so recent-- most of it having unfolded during my lifetime. Quite a difference from Rome or Madrid or even Dresden (so close to Berlin).
Dr. John
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