The Brand New, Old City

When we arrived in Berlin, the first thing that struck me was how bitterly cold it was and how different it was from Freiburg. They warned us that northern germany was always much colder and much darker than freiburg or southern germany in general but I guess it didn't really stick with me until I felt the freezing rain. During our two-hour city walk ice was forming on our jackets and all we could think about was getting back to the warmth of the hostel. There were a few buildings and monuments powerful enough to capture our full attention, though. The memorial to all of the book burnings during the 3rd Reich was exceptionally interesting to me; it was simply a window in the ground in front of Humboldt University that looked down into a room full of empty bookshelves which symbolize all the space that those books that had been burned would fill up. It was very powerful and thought provoking to see such a monument and be reminded of all of the crazy events of Germany's past.

Oldest Jewish Synagogue in Germany

Saved by a German Police officer during the Holocaust

We also saw Humboldt University which was absolutely marvelous. The building itself was so beautifully crafted and stood near the Opera house in a more central part of the city. It was amazing to think that scholars like Albert Einstein, Karl Marx and Max Planck studied and stood right where I had been. It must've been the most wonderful atmosphere in its prime, it's one of the oldest universities in Berlin having been founded in 1810. 

Just getting to hear about all of the trials the city had been through was truly eye opening, and the fruits of their attempt to rebuild after having been almost completely bombed in the war were very apparent in the presence of cranes and construction sites everywhere. This gave the city a more modern feel, as all of the buildings had been rebuilt or reconstructed, but you couldn't shake the feeling of history and strife that had been very present just centuries before. It was definitely tougher than Freiburg, much more intense weather and people and scenery, the new architecture not as soft as some of the older churches and buildings that we see. Germany has come a long way from the events of World War II, and Berlin embodies this notion. Whilst remembering the past with memorials for victims of war and events of the Holocaust, they are able to rebuild and move on from what had happened, albeit delicately and with great consciousness. It is truly a great city with wonderfully diverse food, a fast and extensive tram operation, lots of graffiti and street art, a zoo, too many museums to count, and architecture new and old.

Stasi prison at Hohenschoenhausen

We also had the privelege of having a tour of a prison used by the Stasi after the Russian takeover of East Germany post-Nazi era. Right after the fall of Nazi reign, the Russians turned around and used this to imprison former Nazi soldiers, supporters, or anyone who did not support the Stasi regime for whatever reason. We heard many accounts of torturing, physical and mental, and seeing the actual cells and areas where such torture went on was sobering to say the least. It really made me realize how much we take America for granted, as we have not had to deal with the government changing hands from one intense, punishing regime to the next. These prisoners were stripped of all of their rights and privileges, their clothes, and their dignity in order to give up information they may or may not have had, or for things that they either did not do or should never have been punished so severely for. Just the thought of all of this pointless suffering was enough to make anyone appreciate what they have and how stable the country is now.

 A candle from the hole-in-the-wall bar we went to the first night

I really felt like I was in the Underground of Count of Monte Cristo