Waking Up
The museum is deceptively enormous, spanning two floors. The first
floor is rather small, so I paced myself and expected to take in every detail.
However, once I walked upstairs I realized the second floor had much, much more
on display than the first. The exhibits that were most chilling to me detailed
the efforts people made to escape from East Germany. Groups of people used hot
air balloons, makeshift airplanes (powered by lawn mower sized engines),
miniature submarines, slingshots, suitcases, tunnels, etc. to assist in their
escape. Parts of cars (fuel tanks) were actually hallowed
out to allow people to hide within.
Outside the Topography of Terror museum is one of the last remaining sections of the Berlin Wall, so the museum is impossible to miss. The museum takes up an entire block, some of which is forested. The museum is build on the former grounds of the Nazi administrative offices. The buildings are gone, but some of the ruins have been preserved. The museum has a very modern feel and does an excellent job explaining the people behind the Nazi party and the various offices that once surrounded the premises. I had a couple of hours to spend before closing time and made the most of every minute. I took time walking around the forested grounds, reading placards to understand were the various buildings once stood as well as the purpose they served. Like some of the other museums pertaining to the World War II or the Cold War, this particular museum is free.
Since I had to let the laundry dry I let myself sleep late.
This would be the first day in many that I would not wake up to an alarm
clock. The apartment had exterior
shutters that completely blocked out all light. I ended up crawling out of bed
around 11am. I had loaded The clothing
on the dryer rack was mostly dry, but the washer was full of wet clothes. I
hung the wet, hit the shower, and was off. Although I woke up late, today would
be a busy day. I had walked around the remnants of the Berlin Wall the night
before, but most exhibits were closed. The first stop was the Checkpoint
Charlie Museum, followed by the museum outside what remains of the Berlin Wall.
The two attractions were just a block from each other. The night before I
purchased a public transportation pass for 48 hours, so I hopped on the train
and head towards Checkpoint Charlie.
Checkpoint Charlie
Museum
The Checkpoint Charlie museum walks visitors through what it
was like living in a divided Berlin. Camera’s were not allowed in the museum,
so I couldn’t get any pictures. The
museum does a fantastic job explaining how Berlin became divided amongst the
allied forces World War II (France, United Kingdom, United States, and the
Soviet Union). Shortly thereafter Germany would be divided into the East and West. West Germany, controlled by all nations except the Soviet Union, would become the GFR (German Federal Republic). East Germany, controlled by the Soviet Union, would become GDR (German Democratic Republic).
Another emotionally draining exhibit detailed forced
adoptions. The government of the East
would kidnap children of potential dissenters. The children would be given to
other families, without the new family knowing the entire circumstance. There
were various exhibits of missing children lost during the division posted by
parents, and the parents continue to search for them. The exhibit is incredibly sad.
There was also an Exhibit that detailed the creation of the
Aswan dam in Egypt and detailed the Suez Crisis. I visited Aswan while in Egypt and toured the dam and heard next to nothing about this crisis. The Lotus Flower, a symbol of Egyptian-Soviet friendship was pointed out, but that was it. The construction of the Aswan Dam was a catalyst of the Suez Crisis - and a major milestone of the cold war. Israel, Britain and France would ultimately go to war against Egypt during the crisis.
Like at the Dachau concentration camps, I spent much more time here than I originally expected. There was an enormous amount of information to take in and it was all well presented.
Like at the Dachau concentration camps, I spent much more time here than I originally expected. There was an enormous amount of information to take in and it was all well presented.
Me outside Checkpoint Charlie
Museum is in back of the guard on the left
Topography of Terror
Outside the Topography of Terror museum is one of the last remaining sections of the Berlin Wall, so the museum is impossible to miss. The museum takes up an entire block, some of which is forested. The museum is build on the former grounds of the Nazi administrative offices. The buildings are gone, but some of the ruins have been preserved. The museum has a very modern feel and does an excellent job explaining the people behind the Nazi party and the various offices that once surrounded the premises. I had a couple of hours to spend before closing time and made the most of every minute. I took time walking around the forested grounds, reading placards to understand were the various buildings once stood as well as the purpose they served. Like some of the other museums pertaining to the World War II or the Cold War, this particular museum is free.
Museum building is very modern
Museum and gravel stand were Nazi offices once stood
Forested gardens
Remains of a Nazi office building in back of remaining section of Berlin Wall
Me, in front of Berlin Wall
Stasi Museum
The Stasi were the government secret police that ensured East Germans conformed. The Stasi are considered to be one of the most successful intelligence gathering organizations throughout history. The Stasi terrorized the people of East Germany and helped ensure uprisings against the GDR never occured. At it's peak the Stasi employed an enormous 250,000 people - about 2-3 percent of the East German population. The museum shows various files the Stasi organization kept on everyday people and profiles several East Germans who rose against the GDR.
The Stasi were the government secret police that ensured East Germans conformed. The Stasi are considered to be one of the most successful intelligence gathering organizations throughout history. The Stasi terrorized the people of East Germany and helped ensure uprisings against the GDR never occured. At it's peak the Stasi employed an enormous 250,000 people - about 2-3 percent of the East German population. The museum shows various files the Stasi organization kept on everyday people and profiles several East Germans who rose against the GDR.
Profiles of individuals who rose against the GDR
Stasi Files
Hitler’s Bunker
While it no longer exists, the Reich Chancellery was the office for the chancellor of Germany from 1871 to 1945. The land the Chancellery once stood on is now covered by retail and residential buildings. One level below the Chancellery was the Führerbunker, an underground air raid shelter where Hitler committed suicide. While the underground bunkers still exist, they are sealed off and not open to the public. The sign explaining what formerly stood on the grounds was only added after the 2006 world cup. A friend told me the nearby train public transportation station (Mohrenstraße) was built using marble from the former chancellery.
Holocaust Memorial
Directly across the street from where the Reich Chancellery once stood is the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe. The site contains 2,711 concrete rectangles on a slopping incline spanning a block. The blocks are large. Thinking in 2 dimensional terms, most are the size of a coffin. I spent some time walking around the site in an effort to understand the meaning. The blocks are of various sizes. The ground slopes significantly and the concrete blocks have various peaks. There's some overall commonality to the objects, yet distinct differences. In the end, I'm not sure I got it.
While it no longer exists, the Reich Chancellery was the office for the chancellor of Germany from 1871 to 1945. The land the Chancellery once stood on is now covered by retail and residential buildings. One level below the Chancellery was the Führerbunker, an underground air raid shelter where Hitler committed suicide. While the underground bunkers still exist, they are sealed off and not open to the public. The sign explaining what formerly stood on the grounds was only added after the 2006 world cup. A friend told me the nearby train public transportation station (Mohrenstraße) was built using marble from the former chancellery.
Former grounds of the
Brandenburg Gate
Mohrenstraße Station
Directly across the street from where the Reich Chancellery once stood is the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe. The site contains 2,711 concrete rectangles on a slopping incline spanning a block. The blocks are large. Thinking in 2 dimensional terms, most are the size of a coffin. I spent some time walking around the site in an effort to understand the meaning. The blocks are of various sizes. The ground slopes significantly and the concrete blocks have various peaks. There's some overall commonality to the objects, yet distinct differences. In the end, I'm not sure I got it.
Sony Style Mall
Another stop I made nearby was to the Sony Style Shop. At first I didn't know if it was just a shop or something more. While Sony does have a retail outlet on site, the grounds actually form an enormous mall. The mall is a a large covered outdoor space, surrounded by high rise buildings that appear to house retail, commercial, and residential units. The first thing that hit me walking in was the outdoor seating areas. Various restaurants, bars, and cafes had outdoor seating and it was packed. I spent some time walking around and found a Starbucks. Shortly thereafter it was time to start planning dinner.
Another stop I made nearby was to the Sony Style Shop. At first I didn't know if it was just a shop or something more. While Sony does have a retail outlet on site, the grounds actually form an enormous mall. The mall is a a large covered outdoor space, surrounded by high rise buildings that appear to house retail, commercial, and residential units. The first thing that hit me walking in was the outdoor seating areas. Various restaurants, bars, and cafes had outdoor seating and it was packed. I spent some time walking around and found a Starbucks. Shortly thereafter it was time to start planning dinner.
Dinner
I had plenty of street food throughout the past couple of days so I was in the mood for something good. I did some research and was directed to a steakhouse near Checkpoint Charlie called Steakhouse ASADOR, the area I began that day at. It wasn't too far, maybe 1/2 mile, so I began the walk over. It was raining a bit and the outdoor seating area was closed. The staff informed me there were no open tables and reservations were expected for the next 2 hours. They literally meant 2 hours because when I asked if I could be put on a list they gave me an 11pm time. I found a coffee shop in the meantime and head back to the Steakhouse. The host remembered me and greated me by name as if I was an old friend, he told me to take any seat in the house. He let me know the kitchen was to close in about 30 minutes, but I'd have more than enough time to eat. I knew what I wanted so ordering was quick. The food came out very fast and was much, much better than expected. The price was something like 12 euros (around $15 USD) and the food quality definitely surpassed that of what I'd get back home at almost any restaurant. I tried to pay by credit card and they were having trouble with their machine. The machine can read the card by swipe or by reading the smart chip inside some cards. Smart card type credit cards are very common in Europe and that's commonly the first method merchants try. After several traditional swipes the card wasn't working. Although I could have paid in cash, the staff was relentless about getting the card to work. They even insisted I enjoy a complimentary beer while they worked things out. The dining experience was one of the best throughout the entire trip.
I had plenty of street food throughout the past couple of days so I was in the mood for something good. I did some research and was directed to a steakhouse near Checkpoint Charlie called Steakhouse ASADOR, the area I began that day at. It wasn't too far, maybe 1/2 mile, so I began the walk over. It was raining a bit and the outdoor seating area was closed. The staff informed me there were no open tables and reservations were expected for the next 2 hours. They literally meant 2 hours because when I asked if I could be put on a list they gave me an 11pm time. I found a coffee shop in the meantime and head back to the Steakhouse. The host remembered me and greated me by name as if I was an old friend, he told me to take any seat in the house. He let me know the kitchen was to close in about 30 minutes, but I'd have more than enough time to eat. I knew what I wanted so ordering was quick. The food came out very fast and was much, much better than expected. The price was something like 12 euros (around $15 USD) and the food quality definitely surpassed that of what I'd get back home at almost any restaurant. I tried to pay by credit card and they were having trouble with their machine. The machine can read the card by swipe or by reading the smart chip inside some cards. Smart card type credit cards are very common in Europe and that's commonly the first method merchants try. After several traditional swipes the card wasn't working. Although I could have paid in cash, the staff was relentless about getting the card to work. They even insisted I enjoy a complimentary beer while they worked things out. The dining experience was one of the best throughout the entire trip.
Walking Around
As I started to walk back to my flat after dinner I ventured off the direct path following some buildings that looked very interesting. One was a museums, the other was an office building. Although I had no reason not to doubt the area was safe, I was trying to be discrete taking pictures. A car driving by must have noticed because one of the drunks in the car screamed at me )or another passerby) and scared me to death. On the plus side one of the others screamed louder than I did.
As I started to walk back to my flat after dinner I ventured off the direct path following some buildings that looked very interesting. One was a museums, the other was an office building. Although I had no reason not to doubt the area was safe, I was trying to be discrete taking pictures. A car driving by must have noticed because one of the drunks in the car screamed at me )or another passerby) and scared me to death. On the plus side one of the others screamed louder than I did.
Tomorrow:
I had a lot to cover before leaving Berlin and tomorrow would be my last full day. I also had to do laundry. So, I decided to head back and turn in early.
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