Sunday, July 30, 2006
Berlin!
I went to the Berlin in May to lead the 3-person EUCOM/USAFE Public Affairs team for the Berlin Air Show. I had a wonderful team working with me, and Chuck and I managed to get into the city several times to make the most of our down time. We had worked together at Airman magazine several years ago, so that made it that much easier to work alongside each other again.
Berlin is an absolutely stunning city, filled with tons of history and beauty. It was amazing when we got off the train in downtown Berlin, walked up to the street level and soon encountered a row of cobblestones that marked where the Berlin Wall had once stood. After the wall came down, the cobblestones replaced it. As we meandered through the city during the next week, we crossed over the cobblestones more times than I can remember…and I was in awe each time at how freely we were moving around the city when less than 20 years ago that would not have been even remotely possible.
Another site that struck me was an entire city block--nearly five acres--of more than 2,700 huge concrete slabs of varying heights, the tallest ones more than 15 feet high! The ground through the field of slabs sloped throughout, which camouflaged the immensity of what was before us. Only later did we learn what we were looking at: the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, also known as the Holocaust Memorial. We came back a few evenings later and toured through the underground Information Center. There was so much information on the Holocaust and the families and individuals murdered that it’s impossible to take it all in. The one thing that struck me most was in the Room of Families. On the floor were accounts from Jewish individuals being held at Concentration Camps throughout Europe--such as diary entries and letters to family members--describing their feelings and emotions. The one that absolutely tugged at my heart was a letter from a 12-year-old girl named Martha to her father in which she told him that she knew how the children at that camp were killed (buried alive), that she understood that would also be her fate and how much it scared her. How awful. I could not imagine how he felt receiving that letter. The world must not forget what happened, and this memorial is one way to ensure the world remembers the millions of people who were needlessly murdered many years ago during this dark period.
Every day save one that we went into Berlin, we walked past the Brandenburg Gate. It’s a magnificent structure that once served as an entrance to the old city. Between 1961 and 1989, it was a symbol of a divided Germany as the Wall stood just in front of it. Now it once again is the symbol of the city and is surrounded by growth and rebuilding. This was the one site Wolfgang (the German PA from USAFE on our Air Show team) told me was a must-see while there. We even ate dinner one evening in a quaint restaurant with a bookstore feel just past the gate--in former East Berlin. Since we were there while the city was getting ready to host the World Cup, they were constructing a huge soccer ball just inside the gate as well.
One evening, as we sat at the edge of the Tiergarten within sight of the Brandenburg Gate eating wurst from a street vendor for supper, a protest march passed in front of us. Demonstrations are different in Germany since they all have to be registered and approved by the local authorities, but that wasn’t what struck me about this one. What struck me was the irony of seeing a tank pass in front of the Brandenburg Gate. I’m not sure what issue they were protesting, but I couldn’t help but take a couple photos. A couple days later we happened into the start of another demonstration…this time the streets were closed to allow a mass gaggle (easily a couple thousand people) to rollerblade through the city streets. As quickly as it started, it was over, at least there in front of the Brandenburg Gate. Again, I’m not sure what the issue was or whether it was simply for enjoyment.
We also made a stop at the Humboldt University, the location of Hitler’s book burning. There’s a sculpture of books with various banned authors’ names inscribed on their spines to recognize the historic event. In the university courtyard below (but not visible in this photo) is a plexiglass section of ground that allows visitors to peer below at a tribute to the lost works of literature…an empty room with bare library shelves on all four sides.
On Thursday nights, many sites stay open late, so we took the opportunity to visit the Pergamon Museum. We only had time to see about a fourth of the exhibits, but I was in awe of the Pergamon Altar and the Ischtar Gate of Babylon. Just in front of the steps of the Pergamon Altar (which visitors are allowed to climb) is a sign warning that the steps are extremely steep--they weren’t kidding!
The Ischtar Gate was absolutely beautiful! It’s huge, easily 40-feet tall (this photo is an optical illusion), and made of stunning blue-glazed bricks with three-dimensional animal depictions. I would have enjoyed having more time to adequately peruse the entire museum, but was glad we were able to make time to see what we did. 
The Berliner Cathedral is the most impressive church in the city and contains the Hohenzollern family crypt. I snapped the evening photo below of the Cathedral after our evening visit to the Pergamon Museum. There are several other museums nearby--on Museum Island--including the Egyptian Museum immediately to the left of the cathedral, and which houses the bust of Queen Nefertiti (unfortunately we didn’t have time to visit inside this museum). 
On our last night in the city, we stumbled on an outdoor jazz marathon and decided to enjoy the music while finishing up our Australian ice cream cones. I honestly couldn’t tell you what distinguished it as Australian--it wasn’t served upside down (but the French ice cream I had a few nights earlier was very smooth and distinguishable). Anyway, I was amazed at the instruments the musicians were playing…and how one musician was playing one instrument in particular…
No, not the clarinet…the instrument he’s playing with his foot!
Some other city sites that are worth sharing:
Checkpoint Charlie and the Checkpoint Charlie Museum, which documents the Wall and escape attempts...and even includes some very ingenious escape devices. This was another must-see site, full of tons of information and exhibits. It was amazing to see the great lengths that some people wold go to in order to escape from the East to the West, including a group of individuals in their 70s and 80s...the men dug a tunnel tall enough that their wives could escape by walking upright to freedom!
Siegessaule, the “Victory Column” with the figure of Winged Victory that commemorates the Prussian victories over Denmark, Austria and France. We only saw the column up-close from the initial bus tour, although she’s easily visible from the Brandenburg Gate.
Schloß (also spelled “Schloss,” which means castle) Bellevue, a Baroque summer palace built in 1795 for the youngest brother of Frederick the Great, and now the residence of the German president. We also only saw this from our initial bus tour.
The Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church was extensively damaged during World War II. All that remains today is the tower, which has been left in its bombed condition as a symbol of hope and to remind people of the consequences of war.
Two portions of the Berlin Wall that are still standing (taken during the bus tour through the windows, from the opposite side of the bus, hence the bluriness). The photo taken in former East Berlin shows the damage from bullets, while the photo taken from former West Berlin shows the typical wall graffiti.
Statue of Frederick the Great.
One remnant of former East Berlin that's still readily visible in that part of the city is the pedestrian crossing lights, otherwise known as “Red Man, Green Man.” 
Now that I’ve shown you some of the city sites, here are a few obligatory photos from the Air Show at the Berlin-Schönefeld Airport. We put in some long days at the show, but I really enjoyed being there. Some highlights were getting to meet the first female Chinese Air Force pilot, Maj. Gen. Yue Xicui, and climbing inside the tail of a C-17 Globemaster III (appropriately named "The Spirit of Berlin") for a magnificent view of the aircraft corral area...this photo hardly does it justice though.
We also passed beautiful rapeseed fields each day as we drove to and from the Air Show...fields and fields of yellow. I especially liked this field with a lone deer stand in the middle. Definitely made the drive to and from "work" each day enjoyable!
Overall, I had a great and memorable visit to Berlin...I highly recommend a visit to the city to anyone who makes the trek over this way! There are tons of things to see and do, and I doubt anyone would be disappointed with what the city has to offer.
