Germany

Wednesday, September 19, 2018

Wannsee

We started out to see Peacock Island which is an island accessible only by Ferry. We took the S7 to Wansee and then walked the 7k to the ferry. You can take the 218 bus. This is a favorite getaway where colorful birds run free around the palace. No bicycles allowed. On this island Kaiser Wilhelm II build a palace. It is a fantasy island with a dark history because it is here in 1942 at the Wansee conference the Nazi officials came up with the final Solution to the Jewish question. It was a lovely walk first along the lake front then through the forest. Very peaceful and quiet. We were about 3/4 of the way when we met two German women returning and they told us the island was closed. We later learned that it was closed for reconstruction projects. We returned to Wansee then on to Berlin.

There was one more memorial we wanted to see. the German Resistance memorial Center. It is built on the site of the attempted coup of July 20, 1944 at the former army high command. It is a powerful place documenting in words, pictures and films the individuals and groups that took action in whatever way they could against the National Socialist dictatorship from 1933 to 1944. They had interviews with individuals that had tried to leave Germany as children or young adults and how most of the countries of the world including the USA did not want more immigrants especially if they were destitute. This is certainly reminiscent of our world today. Heartbreaking to learn that we have learned so little and still lack empathy.

German Resistance Memorial Center

Finally a drink

And a meal.....

Tuesday, September 18, 2018

Berlin

Berlin.

Check Point Charlie

Today, we were back to exploring Berlin. We started by walking out to Checkpoint Charlie. As you can see it is very disappointing not like in the movies.

Next the Checkpoint Charlie Museum

We then went to find the Euthanasia memorial. Hitler felt it was a waste of money to spend any money on anyone that had any physical or mental dificiency. So adults , children, and babies were euthanized.

We then went over to the tiergarden to look at two other memorials. We could not have seen them earlier because of the Berlin Marathon when a good part of the park was fenced off. We went and looked at the memorial for homosexuals who were killed and then the memorial to the Gypsies.

Memorial to Homosexuals

Memorial to Gypsies

Soviet War Memorial

Monday, September 17, 2018

Grunewald

Today we decided on a relaxing day in the country. We chose Grunewald 10 km. west of the city. It is known for its famous forests, string of lakes and its mansions. I often walk behind Joan so I can track our progress using google maps. She enjoys just wandering. Most often direction is of no concern. Stu almost had a melt down when he lost data and his google map failed to show results. For several blocks we had to rely on directions we got from strangers. But alas data returned and Stu was transfixed on his phone. We did see the lakes and the forest and a nude beach. We also had a delightful lunch of potato pancakes with applesauce for me and fricassee chicken for Stu. Lovely to breath the fresh air. Berlin is built on a marsh so it often has the oder of rotten vegitation.

Sunday, September 16, 2018

Sachsenhausen

Sachenhausen

We took the tram to Sachenhausen about 20 miles north of Berlin. This is the site of one of the most notorious concentration camps. It was used to train camp guards and new procedures. It was also the site of the Third Reich’s counterfeiting operation. They printed pound notes with the aim of flooding the market to destabilize Great Britain. It was completed in 1936. It was meant to be a labor camp intended to wring hard work out of the prisoners. Between 1936 and 1945 200,000 prisoners did time here and 50,000 died. Many of the prisoners there were sent to Auschwitz to be killed. After the war the USSR used it as a special prison for Nazis as well as anti Stalin Russians and they continued the killing.
We were there close to 5 hours. There are actual buildings demonstrating how the prisoners lived as well as pictures and stories of the prisoners and guards. There are memorials to the people that died there. It is quite overwhelming. You cannot stop reading the unbelievable stories of these brave people.

Memorials just ouside the camp

GDR’s National Memorial 1961

Execution Trench, used for mass shootings

Crematorium near by the “Infirmary” where Zyklon-B was tested

The dentist would be sure to remove the gold teeth

There is so much more. Be sure you visit this link when you have lots of time

Sachsenhausen .

Saturday, September 15, 2018

Potsdam

We decided to leave the city of Berlin and take a 25 min tram ride to Potsdam.

The main attraction where the palaces built by Frederick the Great particularly Sanssouci. The first in 1745. He built the new palace some 20 years later. They are at either end of the property. It takes about 30 minuites to walk from the old palace to the new palaces. Those are not the only palaces on the estate. Other palaces he had built were for guests, grand picture gallery, a Chinese house, Roman baths, the Church of Peace, a Mosque and a working windmill. On the way home, we visited the town and enjoyed a delicious Italian meal. It was a nice getaway from the city.

Church of Piece

Cheers

Tuesday, September 11, 2018

Berlin

We arrived in Berlin yesterday after a two hour train ride. We then took a five minute train ride to Hackescher Market. We ate a delightful lunch. I learned from our waitress that women in Germany drink beer in one of three ways: Radler is beer with lemon aid or sprite, Diesel is beer with coke, and Alster is beer with Fanta. In Spain women drink wine with agua minerale. Interesting. Our waitress was beautiful , her mom German and her father from Mozambique. Our apartment was five blocks away. Wonderful to be able to unpack and wash our clothes. It has been unseasonably warm here not unlike our weather in California.

Our second day in Berlin is usually on the hop on and off bus but we needed some exercise after sitting so much yesterday. I have been having problems with my emails so we decided to walk over to Apple Store. Stu with a Berlin map in one hand and google map on his phone got us there the scenic way about 7 miles. Naturally they fixed my phone in less then 5 minutes.

For the next 10 days we will live in an apartment found on AirBnB. Hotels might be cheaper; however, we enjoy cooking the kinds of meals our bodies feel most comfortable with. Berlin doesn’t have an old central city core. It is spread out. We will add pictures each day lacking any correlation.

For instance the first picture is of Stumbling Stones indicating where someone was picked up and taken to concentration camp and died there. Check the birth and death dates. Sobering is not the word for it.

Through out i will have links for further insite.

Stumbling-Stones

Hunzingers ensemble is a group of sculptures in a park deplicting the women of mixed marriages whosehusbands were sent to Auschwitz. Hundred of women protested knowing they could go to prison.

Rosenstrasse—Protest

St.Marien-Kirche 1270 old!

Fernsehturm TV Tower

Marx-Engels Forum

Berlin Cathedral

Another monument we were drawn to is called a Neue Wache. It is the central memorial of the Federal Republic of Germany. It is an empty room with a sculptor of a mother and her dead son. Buried in the ground is the body of an unknown soldier and the body of an unknown concentration camp prisoner They are surrounded by earth from WWII battlefields and from the concentration camps. Both very simple and yet very moving.