Berlin Part 1 a short history

August 30 came and it was time to visit Berlin. I have wanted to see this city for many years, since the Wall was torn down. I really did not know what to expect, except a lot of new buildings where the old ones had existed. I wondered how the eastern part of the city would be like twenty years after the Soviets had disappeared. There were so many things to learn about the city and I was ready.

I have tried to organize the topics of this city: the geography, the subway systems, the places of interest, the museums, the Nazi history, the Soviet history, the neigborhoods, the shopping, the restaurants and bars, the music, the new buildings, and the people. Those are 12 topics that I would have to hit upon to give anyone a feel for the city. Was I up to it??? I wasn't sure. But here goes.

Berlin has been the center of German history for about four hundred years. Bismark was from these parts, and when Germany actually became a country, the city of Berlin was chosen to be its capital. Along with the political business of the city came the social activity; as a result wonderful hotels and restaurants and museums and concert halls thrived here.

The German government directed the WWI activities from here, and Berlin was especially hit hard when the Germans capitulated. The Weimar government tried desperately to gain control in the 1920's, but government after government failed and chaos reigned - just in time for Hitler to step in and create some kind of stability. The people of Berlin were so worn down and aching for something to work that they embraced Hitler and his ideas - until they realized that maybe his ideas were not all that great. But it was too late, and they just went along with him and kept their mouths shut.

When the war started they thought it was a good idea and were all for it for years, until the Allies started getting their act together and making some progress, and the Soviets were inching their way west to control Germany. Then the Allies started bombing Berlin - and other places - to smithereens. Berliners were really suffering and needed help, so after the Allies destroyed Berlin they started the airdrops to save the people from completely starving to death.

Then relations with the Soviets became so bad that they built the Wall and the cold war started. Berliners overnight were separated from friends and families; the situation continued for almost thirty years until the Wall miraculously came down. From that time on Berlin has worked to become one city again, with brand new buildings, restoration of old buildings as they looked in former years, rebuilding of subway systems, etc. The restoration that started about twenty years ago is still very much underway all over the city. There is a vibrancy in the city which can be felt today.

We wanted to feel it all and investigate as much of the city as possible. We weren't sure how long to stay but decided on about five weeks. We have only one week left and we feel the loss of having to leave already. We have seen and experienced so much and everyday is full of exploring, looking, studying, feeling and photographing. In the following entries I will try to describe what we have seen and what we have felt about this big city.