Berlin

We stayed four days in Berlin, staying first in West Berlin. Though the city is no longer divided by the wall, the difference is huge. The western side is mostly older, the downtown office buildings and department stores like many other European cities, but without a 'historic center'. Of course WW2 demolished much of the city, but the western side was never a part of the old medieval center.

Since the wall came down in November 1989, the Eastern side has a rebuilding boom. For one thing, the Wall cut a swath a quarter-mile wide through the city, with barriers, towers and no-mans land leaving a large area for new construction. Also, after the reunification, West Germany poured a ton of money into the East to provide jobs and 'stimulus'. Since the DDR government had never been rich, many of the old buildings were in disrepair. East Berlin began at the Brandenburg Gate, a gate out of the city which was to the east. Now, east of the Gate new shopping areas and boutique hotels are going in. Some of the oldest buildings which remained have been turned into museums and art centers. It was recently decided to rebuild the imperial palace of Prussian Kings, to original specs (the facades only). The buildings will be modern inside and house art museums.

There is no escaping The Wall in Berlin. It made a huge impact on the people and politics of the city. Initially it was torn down as a hated symbol, but now some sections are being restored as memorials. One section actually has a fence around it so people can't take pieces. Another section has preserved original grafitti art, and another is used as a canvas for rotating grafitti artist displays. The Checkpoint Charlie guard station has been reconstructed and
the Museum of the Wall has extensive documentation. Also, the path of the wall is now marked in bricks in the streets and sidewalks, to remind people of the separation. In only one point, in the north of town, is the entire section of wall, wire barricades, guard towers and cleared land preserved. In organized tours, a lot of time is spent on the Wall and its impact. To people who grew up during the Cold War, this is still a an important point of interest. This year marks

twenty years since the fall of the wall and commemorations continue all year.

The most historic site in West Berlin is the Memorial Church, a bombed out shell, left unreconstructed, and then a new modern tower aded on. This area also has the Berlin Zoo and a main train station. There are many lovely resiential areas, and the Embassy Row also anchors the old center.

See previous post for the intro, and Flickr for more photos.

Eastern Germany

In April, Ellen and I travelled to eastern Germany.

We began with a few days in Berlin, then joined an organized cruise down the scenic Elbe River. The river passed Wittenburg and Dresden, then passed into the Czech Republic, finishing with a visit to Prague.

The tour was defined by the recent history here; the area was all part of East Germany until 20 years ago, and closed to Westerners. The tour guides had many tales of life in those times and the changes in their lives since the change in government.

I'll post separate sections on Berlin, the River, and Prague, and also post pics on Flickr, as usual.