17 May 09

The day started with a four hour walking tour around central Berlin. Our tour guide, Lisa originally from Berlin, described the many Greek inspired buildings that Karl Friedrich Schinkel designed. Throughout the tour his name is said numerous times as he was the popular Berlin architect during those times.

Interesting fact: In 1969, the Fernsehturm (TV tower) was designed by the GDR government (East Berliner's) but when it came to constructing it, the brain power was not there. The communists had to request help from the Swiss to completely design and construct the 368 meters high tower, which on a clear day you can see 40 kilometers in any direction. Ironically, when it is sunny out you can see a cross on the side of the fernsheturn, which as Lisa pointed out the West Berliner's called the, "Rache des Papstes" (pope's revenge).

During one part of the tour, Lisa explained how a family successfully escaped from East Berlin to the West. Apparently, the man worked as an engineer at one of the communist building closest to the inner wall and during night fall climbed to the top of the building with his wife and young son. The spot lights would randomly search for people from the second floor down so the man had to throw a rope over to the West side and have his friends secure it. Next, he convinced his son to go on the zip line by promising him a new shiny red bicycle over in the West. It was extremely difficult to buy bicycles or even cars as Lisa said some East Berliner's had to wait 25 years to finally actually receive a new car. With the thought of a new bike in mind, the boy zipped over the wall, following the father and mother. When morning broke, the communist were horrified to see the zip line and quickly changed how they searched for escape people at night. An important official in the West of Berlin quickly heard about the family and personally presented the boy with, in fact a new red shiny bicycle.

Along the tour, we came upon the Russian checkpoint where another escape took place. The man feel in love with a women from East Berlin and since he studied in East Berlin, but lived in the West he was able to travel back and forth. Lisa explained that he saved for a Trabant, the smallest car at the time, and at night time he was able to sneak his girlfriend and her mother into the tiny vehicle. He drove as fast as possible and was able to pass under the guard rails into the West. After this episode took place, other similar escape were attempted and accomplished. Not soon after they rebuilt a larger check point with more protection.

Interesting fact: Lisa said that some people escaped into the West by hiding in engines and in car doors.




This bowl has orignial bullet holes from WWII. Shows how violent Berlin was back then.


A statue in the War and Tyranny Memorial.








The site where under Hitler's instructions 20,000 books were burned. The quote says, "Where they burn books they will ultimately also burn people." 1821





A group of tourist posing for a picture in front of the stunning Brandenburg Gate. Back then the Gate separted the city from the forest.





A person looking around in the Holocast Memorial. When he first walked into the memorial the group was walking all together and the grey blocks were fairly small. Out of nowhere I could not find anyone in the group and the block become large over-powering structures with the barren ground curving up and down. Lisa explained that the only way to keep the blocks free of graffiti was for special expensive paint to be purchased, coincidentally the same company that supplied the gas needed in the concentration camps to murder the Jews was the only company that makes the paint needed. When the German people heard about this situation they were outraged that the company would profit so heavily, so the company decided to donate the paint for the memorial.


I was able to find a living organism in this barren gravel memorial. Proves that life can exist after tragedy.



One of the only still remaining third reich buildings. On May 1st in Berlin it is, "May Day," and every year men throw paint on the building.

A sleeping baby at Checkpoint Charlie, the famous American checkpoint.


The last Russian guard to officially leave Checkpoint Charlie after the wall came down.

A man walking across from the West into the East of Berlin.




A girl looking away at the Sony Center.