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| WAVE Journey |
| Women's Adventures, Vacations, Experiences ~ Your Journey Starts Here! |
Visiting Political & Cultural Berlin, With a Side-Trip to Weimar
Article & photos by Lucy Komisar
Article & photos by Lucy Komisar
| Pg 1 of 3 / Next Page / |
A Woman's Directory For Travel and Life.
WAVE Journey is your one-stop online resource for women-oriented businesses and
services around the world.
WAVE Journey is for every woman to enjoy. If you love to travel, cook, read or revel in outdoor activities
this website is for you. If you are looking to connect with other like-minded women or if you are
interested in finding businesses or services that cater to women, WAVE Journey is your number one
online resource.
WAVE Journey is your one-stop online resource for women-oriented businesses and
services around the world.
WAVE Journey is for every woman to enjoy. If you love to travel, cook, read or revel in outdoor activities
this website is for you. If you are looking to connect with other like-minded women or if you are
interested in finding businesses or services that cater to women, WAVE Journey is your number one
online resource.
| Berliner Dom as seen by sunbathers along the Spree river |
Cruising down the Spree on a wonderful
summer afternoon, one is struck by the
dramatic views of Berlin, both the imposing
buildings from one or two centuries past – the
Reichstag, the aptly named Berliner Dom (the
cathedral), the Neues Museum of antiquities
reopened in October – but also the people
lounging in canvas-back chairs along the river.
This is a vibrant city, many think the most
exciting in Europe, grown even livelier and
more diverse since The Wall came down 20
years ago.
summer afternoon, one is struck by the
dramatic views of Berlin, both the imposing
buildings from one or two centuries past – the
Reichstag, the aptly named Berliner Dom (the
cathedral), the Neues Museum of antiquities
reopened in October – but also the people
lounging in canvas-back chairs along the river.
This is a vibrant city, many think the most
exciting in Europe, grown even livelier and
more diverse since The Wall came down 20
years ago.
The eastern former Communist half of the city is certainly bright and colorful today
compared to the dreary gray I saw when I visited in the 1980s. Unlike other world
capitals, the period of division enforced by The Wall kept it from being overbuilt, so there is
a mood of spaciousness, a sense of having the country in the middle of the city. While
German cities like Frankfurt and Hamburg turned into banking and corporate hubs, with
high-rises all but shutting out the sun, Berlin is the perfect place for visitors to relax soak
up the culture.
compared to the dreary gray I saw when I visited in the 1980s. Unlike other world
capitals, the period of division enforced by The Wall kept it from being overbuilt, so there is
a mood of spaciousness, a sense of having the country in the middle of the city. While
German cities like Frankfurt and Hamburg turned into banking and corporate hubs, with
high-rises all but shutting out the sun, Berlin is the perfect place for visitors to relax soak
up the culture.
Germany is big on history. We noticed that
during last year's commemorations of the 20th
anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. You
may want to head for Wall sites and
memorabilia, but I'd rather start with the
Reichstag, which of course begins earlier. It's
a late 19th century neo-Renaissance stone
building with a façade of columns under a
pediment. It was damaged in the 1933 fire
(blamed on the communists but carried out by
the Nazis), and wartime bombings, then left
empty by the Communists and was finally
reconstructed in the 1990s.
during last year's commemorations of the 20th
anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. You
may want to head for Wall sites and
memorabilia, but I'd rather start with the
Reichstag, which of course begins earlier. It's
a late 19th century neo-Renaissance stone
building with a façade of columns under a
pediment. It was damaged in the 1933 fire
(blamed on the communists but carried out by
the Nazis), and wartime bombings, then left
empty by the Communists and was finally
reconstructed in the 1990s.
| Berlin Reichstag with line of visitors |
Of course, it's the place where the German parliament – the Bundestag—now meets.
We got to see it with a "tour guide" who turned out to be not your ordinary "500 meters
high" type, but a historian and lawyer with a marked wit who did this for his own
pleasure. As you can image, the discussions our small group had were quite fascinating.
We got to see it with a "tour guide" who turned out to be not your ordinary "500 meters
high" type, but a historian and lawyer with a marked wit who did this for his own
pleasure. As you can image, the discussions our small group had were quite fascinating.
He explained that the design was politically
very careful. A large white symbolic eagle
looks over the semi-circle of purple-blue
seats. The bird was designed to look
unthreatening, and members of parliament
call it "the fat chicken." The décor of the
room was chosen to avoid any party's colors
– which ruled out most of the bright ones.
The 622 parliamentarians sit on a spectrum
between left and right, depending on their
parties. The chairs are modular, so they can
be regrouped easily as elections change the
party numbers. Starting on the left, there is
very careful. A large white symbolic eagle
looks over the semi-circle of purple-blue
seats. The bird was designed to look
unthreatening, and members of parliament
call it "the fat chicken." The décor of the
room was chosen to avoid any party's colors
– which ruled out most of the bright ones.
The 622 parliamentarians sit on a spectrum
between left and right, depending on their
parties. The chairs are modular, so they can
be regrouped easily as elections change the
party numbers. Starting on the left, there is
| Reichstag Parliament Hall with White Eagle |
The Left, the SPD (socialists), the Greens, the Christian Democrats and Social Christians,
and the Free Democrats, known as the liberals (European style). Galleries for press and
visitors are at the top. The Bundestag was not in session, so we sat in gallery seats to
hear political background and commentary from our very erudite guide. He took us past
the party offices: The Left has a large pink poster on its door, and the Greens have a
green one!
and the Free Democrats, known as the liberals (European style). Galleries for press and
visitors are at the top. The Bundestag was not in session, so we sat in gallery seats to
hear political background and commentary from our very erudite guide. He took us past
the party offices: The Left has a large pink poster on its door, and the Greens have a
green one!
Our guide pointed out the graffiti – now
preserved under glass – of the Russian
soldiers who occupied the building in 1945
when they took over what became East
Berlin at the end of World War II. The
comments range from "You got what was
coming to you, you sons of dogs!" to
"Blessed are the dead for their hands do
not freeze" and "Ivan was here, 1945."
The scrawls were hidden for thirty years
and were found by staff of the architect
Norman Foster who began work on the
building in 1995. There is even now a book
of the graffiti. Some Germans wanted to
erase the words, but others insisted they
be left to commemorate the Russian dead.
And they were.
preserved under glass – of the Russian
soldiers who occupied the building in 1945
when they took over what became East
Berlin at the end of World War II. The
comments range from "You got what was
coming to you, you sons of dogs!" to
"Blessed are the dead for their hands do
not freeze" and "Ivan was here, 1945."
The scrawls were hidden for thirty years
and were found by staff of the architect
Norman Foster who began work on the
building in 1995. There is even now a book
of the graffiti. Some Germans wanted to
erase the words, but others insisted they
be left to commemorate the Russian dead.
And they were.
| Reichstag Graffiti |
Now, here's a tip. Go back to the photo that
shows the Reichstag building with a line of
people waiting to get in. There are 15,000 to
25,000 visitors a day, 40 million a year.
Entrance is free, but if you don't reserve, you
may wait for hours to get in. Plus, then you get
to go only to the terrace with the new glass
and steel cupola atop the building. But you
don't get to visit the building or get the guided
tour, which is either in German or English
depending on the hour. You'll still go to the
terrace at the end of the tour and stay as long
as you like. There's a wonderful 360-degree
view from there, and a restaurant. Be sure to
pick up the English "Outlooks" guide that
marks all the buildings in the panorama. If you
want the full visit, which is kept to a small
group, make an email reservation – preferably
some weeks in advance.
shows the Reichstag building with a line of
people waiting to get in. There are 15,000 to
25,000 visitors a day, 40 million a year.
Entrance is free, but if you don't reserve, you
may wait for hours to get in. Plus, then you get
to go only to the terrace with the new glass
and steel cupola atop the building. But you
don't get to visit the building or get the guided
tour, which is either in German or English
depending on the hour. You'll still go to the
terrace at the end of the tour and stay as long
as you like. There's a wonderful 360-degree
view from there, and a restaurant. Be sure to
pick up the English "Outlooks" guide that
marks all the buildings in the panorama. If you
want the full visit, which is kept to a small
group, make an email reservation – preferably
some weeks in advance.
| Reichstag Cupola |