05 July 2011

5July: Berlin: Part I: East Side Gallery, Brandenburg Gate

Tuesday, July 5 (5 a.m. to 10 a.m.)

We had gone to bed early, so we woke up early. Around 5 am we walked to the mile long stretch of the wall near our hotel to Warshauer Station where we took the train back. The stretch of wall near us known as the East Side Gallery was decorated by artists 1999 and then repainted 2009 because of graffiti. More information the picture of Erich Honecker, the man responsible for the Berlin Wall, leader of East Germany from 1971 to 1989, kissing Soviet leader. ("My God, help me overcome this deathlike love.")

Next we took the train and the ubahn (subway) to Brandenburg Gate Subway Station. Brendenburg was a ghost subway station before the wall fell. Westerners traveling the subway went past it but weren’t allowed to stop, and Easterners weren’t allowed on it at all. We walked up to the Brandenburg Gate—at 7:30 there was hardly anyone here. Certainly the best time to see the sights in a big city. We walked through the middle, the part wider than the other parts where the Kaiser had walked through. Hard to believe this is where Reagan made his speech “Tear down this wall, Mr. Gorbachav only about 20 years ago when a huge wall blocked the gate.

Then walked to the Reichstag past some crosses commemorating the people killed crossing the wall. We waited in line at the Reichstag for a while only to find out that they have just changed their policy to require requesting tickets on the internet at least 2 days in advance because of terrorism. While we were waiting in line we talked to a guy from Holland who was hiking through Germany with his daughter. He had been here 30 years ago and said that he didn’t recognize most of the places because they had changed so much.

Went back to hotel to dump our sweaters since it was turning out warm. Then took the train to Alexanderplatz, walked past Marion KircheBehind St. Mary's Church is the Alexander Tower, built by the East Germans to show their supremacy. Ironically they had torn down all the crosses from churches, yet a cross shines in the ball on sunny days where everyone cannot fail to see it. Next we walked past the Berlin Cathedral and the Lustgarten, to Pergamom Museum.

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