Kurfurstendamm

We went on a bus tour of Berlin this morning, first traveling along the Kurfurstendamm, Berlin’s main shopping street, which dates back to the 16th century. Most of the buildings along it were destroyed during World War II, but have been rebuilt. We were to return here later for lunch.

Kurfurstendamm

Potsdamer Platz

In the 1920’s and 30’s, the Potsdamer Platz was one of the liveliest squares in all of Europe. It was bombed during WWII and then flattened when the Berlin Wall was built. Now it has been rebuilt in a modern design.

Potsdamer Platz

Our Local Tour Guide

Cristobal was our local tour guide today. She was a very good one.

Our Local Tour Guide

The Berlin Wall

Our first stop was at a remaining section of the Berlin Wall, near Checkpoint Charlie. In this section, the wall was thin. The total Berlin Wall was 100 miles (161 km) long, 13 feet (4 meters) high, and studded with watch towers. The wall went up on August 13, 1961, dividing East and West Berlin, and started being taken down on November 9, 1989. Cristobal was in Berlin that day in November and told us of the whole city––both East and West––celebrated all night long, with the West Berliners going to work the next day without any sleep.

The Berlin Wall

A long view.

The Berlin Wall

The other side of the wall.

The Berlin Wall

This gate was locked, so I took this photo through the gate of the fortifications behind the wall.

The Berlin Wall

The Topographie des Terrors (Topography of Terrors) is an outdoor museum here dealing with the terrors of the Gestapo, the SS, etc. We didn’t view it.

The Berlin Wall

Where the wall was is marked by this strip in the pavement.

The Berlin Wall

This building was in East Berlin at the time of the Berlin Wall.

The Berlin Wall

And right across the street was this building in West Berlin, now under renovation. The wall was between the two large buildings, on the side of the street of this building. That’s Ellison in the photo, one of my delightful tourmates.

The Berlin Wall

Checkpoint Charlie

Our next stop was at Checkpoint Charlie, where we were last night. The American sector is to the back of the photo. The famous Cafe Einstein is on the right. The Checkpoint Charlie Museum is on the left.

Checkpoint Charlie

Close–up of the sign on the left of the last photo.

Checkpoint Charlie

The U.S. Army Checkpoint at Checkpoint Charlie.

Checkpoint Charlie

Another view.

Checkpoint Charlie

Standing with your back to the U.S. Army Checkpoint. Of course, the scene was changed since 1989.

Checkpoint Charlie

Close–up of the sign telling you that you are leaving the American sector.

Checkpoint Charlie

A photo on a wall near the checkpoint. This is close to what my contractor remembers the checkpoint looking like when he crossed from West Berlin to East Berlin––many tanks and soldiers with weapons.

Checkpoint Charlie

Photo of President Kennedy when he visited Berlin during the Cold War.

Checkpoint Charlie

Photo of Russian Premier Kruschev when he visited Berlin during the Cold War.

Checkpoint Charlie

Hitler’s Bunker

Our next stop: Hitler’s Bunker, now covered over and serving as a parking lot, so that it doesn’t become a shrine for the Neo–Nazis. We also passed Hitler’s Chancellery on the other side of the street but I was on the wrong side of the bus to get a photo of it. What I remember seeing was a very large ruin.

Hitler’s Bunker

The sign indicating that Hitler’s bunker is underground here.

Hitler’s Bunker

Close–up of a picture of the bunker on the sign.

Hitler’s Bunker

East German Cars

Old East German cars on display.

East German Cars

The Holocaust Memorial

Berlin’s Holocaust Memorial, the “Field of Stalae,” was designed by U.S. architect Peter Eiseman. It commemorates the six million Jews who were exterminated during World War II. The memorial covers 205,00 square feet (19,000 square meters), with 2,711 gray stone slabs without markers. No stone slab is exactly the same size as another one and the paths between them are uneven to give a feeling of groundlessness, instability, and disorientation. There is no entrance or exit at the memorial and it is open 24 hours a day. Walking through the stone slabs is encouraged. There is an information center at the base of the memorial.

The Holocaust Memorial

Another view.

The Holocaust Memorial

Another view.

The Holocaust Memorial

Cristobal told us that you are welcome to sit and even stand on the stone slabs.

The Holocaust Memorial

Public Art

On a lighter note, public art seen on our tour of Berlin.

Public Art

Seen on Our Tour

Passing Fassbender & Rausch, which we were told makes some of the best chocolate in Germany. It also has a cafe.

Seen on Our Tour

The Gendarmenmarkt

Our next stop was at the Gendarmenmarkt, a square created at the end of the 17th century as a marketplace. Three large buildings are located on the square. In the center is the Konzerthaus, the Concert Hall. It was built in 1821, bombed during WWII, and reconstructed in 1984.

The Gendarmenmarkt

Close–up of the statues in front of the Concert Hall.

The Gendarmenmarkt

The upper part of the Concert Hall.

The Gendarmenmarkt

The statues on top of the Concert Hall.

The Gendarmenmarkt

Close–up of the statue of the woman.

The Gendarmenmarkt

Another statue on the building.

The Gendarmenmarkt

On either side of the Concert Hall, are two buildings that look almost exactly alike. On the right is the Franzosischer Dom, the French Cathedral, built in 1701–1706 for the French Huguenot refugees.

The Gendarmenmarkt

On the left is the Deuscher Dom, the German Cathedral, built in 1708, burned down in 1945, and rebuilt in 1993.

The Gendarmenmarkt

The dome of the German Cathedral.

The Gendarmenmarkt

Statues on the cathedral. Near the Gendarmenmarkt is another shopping street and also a Hilton. The Galerie Lafayette is located on that street. Cristobal told us there was a department store contest in Berlin and the Gallerie Lafayette won it as the store with the worst customer service. I laughed loud at this as I remember almost having to beg someone (actually I think I did beg them) to wait on me at the Gallerie Lafayette in Paris.

The Gendarmenmarkt

Driving Around Berlin

We are on our way to the Museum Island. This should be the Spree River and the building in the middle the Berlin Cathedral. The letters in the photo were on our bus window.

Driving Around Berlin

This building is the Alte Stadthaus, built 1902–1911.

Driving Around Berlin

The building is the Rathaus Berlin, the Berlin City Hall, built 1861–1869, badly damaged during WWII, and reconstructed between 1951 and 1956. The TV tower is called the Fernsehtrum and was the pride of East Germany when it opened in 1969. There is an observation platform and a revolving restaurant on it.

Driving Around Berlin

Another view of the Fernsehtrum.

Driving Around Berlin

St. Mary’s Church, 1280.

Driving Around Berlin

Museum Island

We are crossing the Spree River onto the Museum Island, which has five museums on it. It is a beautiful area and is at one end of the Unter den Linden, with the Brandenburg Gate at its other end. Unter den Linden was built by Duke Friedrich Wilhelm in the mid–1660’s as a route he could take “under the linden trees” from his castle home to his hunting lodge. We just drove around the Museum Island but it would be a very nice walk to take.

Museum Island

The first building on Museum Island, the Marstall, built 1669, which served as the royal stables. It is now a library and an archive.

Museum Island

The Old National Gallery, with 19th–century sculpture and paintings.

Museum Island

Humboldt University of Berlin, founded 1810. Albert Einstein and also the brothers Grimm studied here.

Museum Island

Driving Around Berlin

I don’t know what this building is, but I know what it is not: The University of Berlin. Zsofia pointed out the university and I assumed it was this building, but I showed this photo today to my contractor who went to the University of Berlin and he said it wasn’t. He also told me a harrowing story of his trip into East Berlin while he was studying here––he wanted to see what East Berlin looked like. He got arrested––by the French (he had to be cleared first by the Americans, then by the British, next by the French, and lastly by the Russians)––because he had taken out some East German money from a bank to use in East Berlin, which was a no–no. He was released after a few hours and he was allowed into East Berlin, where he was accosted by East German henchmen. Not a great experience, but he did see a little bit of East Berlin and satisfied his curiosity. He said that, if he went back to Berlin today, it would be hard for him to recognize much of it as it has changed so drastically. I brought back a small Berlin bear as a present for him.

Driving Around Berlin

Museum Island

Statue of Wilhelm von Humboldt by Paul Otto in front of the Humboldt University.

Museum Island

The Old Museum, restored in 1966. In it are Greek and Roman artifacts.

Museum Island

The exquisite Berlin Cathedral, built in 1894, heavily damaged during WWII, and restoration finished in 1993.

Museum Island

Brandenburg Gate

We are now at the Brandenburg Gate on the western end of Unter den Linden.

Brandenburg Gate

At night (Day 3 album), it was somber here. During the day, it is more of a circus. These guys, of course, were not real soldiers, but collecting money if you wanted a photo taken with them.

Brandenburg Gate

Mickey Mouse was also here.

Brandenburg Gate

As well as Darth Vader.

Brandenburg Gate

Another photo of the gate.

Brandenburg Gate

The Quadriga, the Goddess of Victory, on top of the gate. It was once stolen by Napoleon who brought it back to Paris and then returned later to Berlin.

Brandenburg Gate

A new museum has just opened here: Museum The Kennedys, with a photo of President Obama on a window. We weren’t given time to visit it.

Brandenburg Gate

Many beautiful tulips were planted on the sides leading up to the gate.

Brandenburg Gate

Another photo of the beautiful tulips.

Brandenburg Gate

Driving Around Berlin

The St. Nicholas Quarter on the Spree River. This section was in East Berlin and its reconstruction was started by East Germany in 1979.

Driving Around Berlin

I haven’t been able to find the name of this building that we saw on our drive.

Driving Around Berlin

The Schloss Bellevue, erected in 1786 as a summer residence of Prince Augustus Ferdinand of Prussia. Since 1994, it has been the official residence of the president of Germany.

Driving Around Berlin

An old church that we passed.

Driving Around Berlin

The Berlin Bear

We saw a number of these decorated bears on our drives. However, we drove by them so fast that I only got a good photo of this one. The bear is the symbol of Berlin, its origin, however, is debated. One story says that in 1150 a man named Albert the Bear inherited Berlin. The bear appeared on an official seal in 1280. This bear is one of the Buddy Bears created in Berlin in 2001 by two German business people and sculptor Roman Strobl.

The Berlin Bear

Kurfurstendamm

We were dropped off on the Kurfurstendamm to eat lunch.

Kurfurstendamm

Two of my tourmates, Deanna and Sarah, and I went to the Karstadt Department Store to eat lunch at the Le Buffet on their sixth floor.

Kurfurstendamm

Le Buffet

There were many choices for lunch here including Asian food.

Le Buffet

It also had a large selection of wine and beer.

Le Buffet

And a selection of sandwiches.

Le Buffet

My lunch. I don’t know exactly what type of meat was on my sandwich but probably some type of ham, but the whole sandwich was very good and it was on delicious pumpernickel. I couldn’t resist the desert. Well fortified, we were picked up for an optional tour to Potsdam (next album).