In a slight change or maybe bigger change, Ill be taking a more personal ad hoc emotive approach to my writing of posts going forward – do bare with me as I am still very much just starting to figure out my writing style for this site. My photography is in the same vein and with time, it shall all evolve – that and I will be getting a better camera haha
Speaking of evolution, Berlin is a real example of an evolutionary mix of historical cultural revolutions – destructive and constructive alike. From the days of Empire to the Cold War, the city, while greatly changed still in its construct and atmosphere, reflects the changes of history that swept through Europe in the latter half of the second millennia AD
I have always had a fascination with this era especially. The Cold War has always held a special interest for me – the first truly global race for supremacy seeding the foundations of the global system we live in today. The cold calculating conflict of East vs West was as fascinating as it was dangerous
Berlin is a reflection of this past defining segment of human history. A mix of rebuilt pre world war buildings blended with variations on the historical split of the city post second world war reflects the echoes of history of past wars and frozen conflicts, concentrated into a single place. this has always fuelled my desire to visit this European Capital
So it was decided – at the time, I was in Darmstadt on a business trip to my company’s corporate headquarters – living the “dream” of having to work for mega-corp to survive in our modern capitalist world, but enjoying one of the few perks of that role, when I decided to head for Berlin. I still do hope some day to be able to escape the rat race and have a life of travelling with photo-blogging…..
So Anyways – I was already in Germany for work so why not extend my stay for one more day to explore. Was already loving the food, the weather and the way of life in this country, so I got to Frankfurt and hopped on a plane to Berlin
Arriving in Berlin, it was a quick and easy transition from the airport to the city centre. I really do love transport on the continent – really puts public transport to shame in Ireland. Within 20 minutes, I was at the central station in Berlin and on foot. Time to explore!
Fumbling my way around using google maps since this was a totally unplanned trip, I finally stumbled my way to the The Reichstag (Imperial Diet) or in modern terms the Bundestag (Federal Diet)
The scope and magnitude of this place was not lost on me – even though it proved virtually impossible to get a clean shot (tourism at its best and worst….)
This place that was the symbol of the fall of Imperial Prussia, the fire pyre for Nazi ambition and aggression – became, at the end of the Cold War: a place of rebirth of modern liberal Germany reunited. The reunification ceremony and gathering of the reunified Bundestag took place on the 3rd and 4th of October 1990 respectively opening a new chapter for Germany and for Europe
The rebirth of Germany has been key to Europe in the late 20th and early 21st century. It is still to this day one of the core pivotal moments that have ensured European security via a unified Germany within a stronger European Union
Looking at history, considering what took place at this very spot over the past two centuries – it made me feel a sense of clarity of how far we have come in the face of dark times past and how important it is for us to preserve that past in memory so we never forget
History really does make us feel smaller in scale, but also gives a greater sense of significance that we must remember all that was lost and gained: so we, as a society may never allow darkness to insidiously descend upon our continent again
As if there isn’t enough history in this one locale, all you need to do next as I did is to stroll down past the right side of the Bundestag for a couple of minutes to find the iconic Brandenburg Gate
A iconic symbol of eventual self defeated division throughout the 20th century, from the fall of Nazi Germany to the raising of the Berlin Wall leading to the the eventual demise of said wall – this place, you could just feel the history standing there, taking it all in
It is smaller in real life than how many would see it on TV but the architecture is impressive along with the aforementioned sense of history – yet again standing in another place of seismic import in terms of European history
Just think, here in this place, a post imperial Prussian co-opted symbol of a defeated Nazi regime became an altogether different symbol of the Cold War division that was preceded by Churchill’s famous Iron Curtain speech in the US in 1946
This Gate became a lightning rod upon rising of the Berlin Wall. A iconic setting for two key rallying calls from two famous US presidents in the Cold War era with two renowned phrases:
Freedom is indivisible, and when one man is enslaved, all are not free
President John F Kennedy
Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!
President Ronald Regan
I promised that I wouldn’t get too heavy into the history with my attempts of a new writing style but I cannot deny my own fascination as to what it must have been like to stand there facing the Gate at the same time as JFK – thinking about the cold segregation of a nation and that in the face of that enormity, it still was dwarfed by the greater nuclear tipped death struggle for global supremacy that was in play at that time
Adversary, at the gates…..
Taking a walk past the Brandenburg Gate down towards the south east, my mind still in a haze of what times would have been like during the Cold War but also really admiring the modern rebuild of Berlin and taking in the air – I arrived, albeit accidentally, at the Holocaust Memorial:
Taking the above picture (not helped using a crappy phone but still), I wanted to try capture at least a small bit, the sense of the memorial:
The countless nameless pillars caught up and trapped in the dark, struggle to find a way out to the light. Pillars, imposing and surrounding – a foreboding sense of feeling trapped. The light visible but weak against preeminent grey and dark shadows
DGM
A true sense of foreboding and unease as I stood there
The picture tells the tale better than any words that I can offer here bar my above self quote and, the sense of sadness that I feel each time that I remember this memorial. Humanity needs to remember so we never allow this to happen again
Heading away from the Memorial, I wandered back down through the Brandenburg Gate along the main thoroughfare towards Museum Island, passing many cafes and admiring the beauty of the buildings, the somewhat more relaxed atmosphere than you would usually find in most capital cities, helping me to relax
The mix of architecture, trees and cafes is always something that I admired about continental European city life – its so relaxing and a major departure to what I am used to in Ireland where cars and concrete are king
One of my favourite places that I remember was Alexander Platz – I know, a slight detour from Museum Island. Ill get there eventually! It had a real mix of soviet and modern construction with some really great places to eat. One cannot forget the Weltzeituhr along with the Fernsehturm (Famous East Berlin TV Tower) located there. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to take a suitable high enough quality photos to share here but regardless – totally recommend visiting it
Strolling along and finally back on track (finally says you!), I passed this lovely little square and decided to grab a quick shot – the sky and lighting caught my eye. I really do love this city – it is a real mix of history in design and so relaxing to get around
So relaxed I was that I didn’t realise that I had made it to Museum Island until I was standing in front of the Berlin Cathedral:
Baroque styled, this structure was magnificent to behold. While I am not religious, I do appreciate the beauty that various places of worship bring to their respective locations and this is up there with some of the best that I have seen on my travels
Very much influenced by 17th century design – the cathedral stands as a gateway to Museum Island and sets the scene for the surrounding area
The picture I took, I decided to change the filter to a monochrome with a slight softening – my goal was not just to capture the Cathedral but try and imagine what the scene may have looked like, taken a few decades back. With a conscious decision to line up the shot with the Fernsehturm behind but still with straight focus on the Cathedral – so give a sense of the contrast in styles between both whilst maintaining a natural angle
The above picture really typifies my feelings of Berlin – historical, varied and rich in culture and natural spaces. I really did love it there
Wrapping up the day in Berlin, I decided to rest, post museum visit and snap a final evening shot before I left from Museum Island and indeed Berlin
I have to say that I always loved visiting continental cities, especially the likes of Vienna or Utrecht where cars are not king and you are free to explore, enjoy, take in the sights, history and atmosphere of a place
Berlin is no exception. I absolutely loved the pace of the city, the balance between public transport and walking, the atmospheres especially in the café areas around Alexander Platz and without a doubt the incredible history mixed with architecture and natural scapes that truly set the tone for one of the most interesting and varied cities that you will find in Europe
Gallery
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- Camera / Phone Used: Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
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