…it’s B-e-r-l-i-n-o!

Ciao tutti,

My final international trip of the semester happened last weekend when I went to the German capital city of Berlin! (Berlino, in italiano).  My good friend who sings with me in the ND Glee Club, Michael, is currently studying abroad there, so it was important for me to get to see him this semester (plus, Berlin is an Olympic host city with a fantastic Olympic park, so that was an extra incentive for me to make the trip!)

The first thing we did in Berlin was, of course, to see the Olympic park. Out of all the Olympic parks I’ve visited in Europe this semester (except Athens – "where it all began"), this one is probably my favorite. The Germans have done a great job keeping it renovated and relevant to today, offering guided tours of the entire facility. Furthermore, there is an extreme amount of history attached to these Games: briefly, these were known as the “Nazi Olympics,” as Hitler’s Third Reich was at its height of power during 1936, when these Games were held. Therefore, they were largely used as a propaganda scheme for Hitler to promote his doctrine of Aryan racial superiority. Probably the most famous and decorated athlete of these Games, however, was African-American track star Jesse Owens, who won 4 gold medals in 1936 (and thus making a mockery of Hitler’s doctrine). And that’s just the beginning. I could write a book (and I’m sure others already have) about all the politics and history that went into these Games. Needless to say, it was fascinating touring the facility, getting a feel for what these Olympics were truly like.

the Olympic stadium

inside the stadium, which has been modernized to
serve as the home of Hertha BSC, the Berlin soccer team 

the Olympic bell (the Nazi symbols
on it have since been removed)

a list of all the gold medal winners. If you look closely,
you can see "Owens" at the top of the left column

At the back of the stadium

the Olympic torch

Me at the (outdoor!) Olympic pool

Where the Führer, Hitler, would stand to
watch the ceremonies. He infamously
walked out when Owens was receiving
his gold medals. (It should also be
mentioned that President Franklin 
Roosevelt also snubbed Owens, refusing 
to meet with him after his return, which 
shows the strong racial tensions felt
also at home in the U.S.)

in the Olympic bell tower

the stadium as seen from atop the bell tower. Notice the
slick architecture and the focus on the continuous line
from the street, through the gates, through the stadium,
and finally back to the bell tower. This architectural scheme
is Nazi-inspired, made to make the individual feel small
and powerless when compared to the grand structure and
unity of the facility.

After checking the Olympic park off my list, Michael became tour guide for the rest of the weekend, taking us to all the big sites in Berlin.

the TV tower (left). This tower was built
by the East German government as a way
to control what information went in and
out of East Berlin (a strong tactic to keep
East Berliners from knowing about the
better life on the other side of the wall).

"Museum Island." The Altes Museum (left) and the
Berliner Dom (right)

These crosswalk figures were all over Berlin. They are unique to the city, and I have not seen them anywhere else. Apparently, they began in East Berlin as a way to further culturally separate East and West Berlin, but they have since caught on throughout the city, and you can see them on many stoplights:

Continuing our tour...

Michael and I at the Brandenburg Gate

the Reichstag building, home of German parliament

inside the Tiergarten

inside the Tiergarten

statue of Mozart and Beethoven at the
Tiergarten

One of the things I enjoyed the most was visiting the Holocaust Memorial. It surprised me how much I appreciated it because the Memorial itself is nothing architecturally special - only a couple thousand concrete slabs that are ordered in layout but vary in height as the ground slopes downward. However, there is deep significance attached to this Memorial. When you venture into the maze and get lost in its order, a strange feeling comes over you: you start to feel the pulse of the city coming in through the tall concrete slabs that surround you. At the same time you feel isolated and alone. This juxtaposition is supposed to represent the Holocaust - specifically, the victims - who each felt alone and powerless to the powerful, ordered structure around them (the Third Reich). There is a lot of symbolism there and it can be a very moving experience visiting this Memorial.

Michael then showed us the site of the Berlin Wall and all the history attached to it:

where the wall once stood

site of the Wall (right). In the background is the location
of a church which was meaninglessly destroyed by the
East Germans in order to build the wall.

"Reconciliation"

candles at the Reconciliation Chapel, a memorial built
on the site of where the church once stood

a view of the "Death strip" between the inner and outer walls

We then visited the East Side Gallery, which was installed in 1990 following the reunification of Germany. This art exhibit/memorial stands for international peace and represents a new chapter in Berlin's history.

Continuing our tour...

the sign at Checkpoint Charlie, the checkpoint between
the American sector and the Soviet sector (dividing
East and West Berlin)

Gendarmenmarkt

St. Hedwig's Cathedral, where I attended
my first German Mass!

Look what street I stumbled upon! August straße!

What I loved about Berlin was all the history you can feel while walking through the city. Sure, every European city has a ton of history; but this history in Berlin is especially powerful, meaningful, emotional, and most importantly modern. It all feels very recent, and it was (in the grand scheme of things) – the Nazi reign, WWII, the Holocaust, and divided Germany all happened within the past 80 years or so. Furthermore, there isn’t much pre-WWII architecture still standing, which also reinforces that this city is filled with modern, powerful history.

It was a great trip, and I learned a ton. Thanks to Michael for being a great tour guide!

Tschüß! (I’m glad I get to use that word again)

Ciao for now,

Augusto