Day 15: Berlin and Sachsenhausen

We only had a day to spend in Berlin between our early morning arrival and evening departure to Hamburg. Certainly not enough to do justice to such an important city but we still had a great time.

Berlin is amazing!! I love that city! I don't know that I'd want to move there, but the history of Berlin is fascinating! I think the thing that makes the history of Berlin so incredible is that it's not just their history, it's all of ours. So many defining moments in the past 100 years occurred here.

Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp and Third Reich Berlin: The Rise and Fall of Hitler's Capital ...

The Cold War was fought in the shadows of Berlin. The people, places, and secrets that kept two worlds on the brink of World War III and the Wall that separated them.

It was 22nd June , we just finished our European discovery with Contiki and were back to Hamburg . I mean we were back in Hamburg around 12.30 or 1.00 AM on 21^st June and next morning we were again at the same bus terminus to catch a bus to go to Berlin , some time around 6.45 am in the morning .

I must say it was not easy , its really takes more than enthusiasm and determination to wake up so early in the morning , finish your breakfast and then get ready to board a coach for another day of wonderful experiences .

It was more hard as we just finished 11 day European discovery with Contiki ; where everyday we used to wake up around 5.30 am and going to bed only after midnight .But it was the sheer excitement of visiting new places and learning new things , which kept us going . We had an enormous cultural immersion within a very sort span of time .

Our home base was Hamburg , visiting Germany and not visiting Berlin is not possible . So somehow we squeezed this one day Berlin tour in our packed itinerary and it was really really worth it .

It was around 10.30 AM we arrived Berlin . I must admit that I didn't have much idea what to expect as I didn't do any research or itinerary planning for Berlin .Thanks to my in laws as they helped to buy the tickets . Priya's mom was very kind , she woke up early in the morning to make us breakfast and she also packed our lunch .

After arriving in Berlin we tried to look for some help and it it was right there in front of us . There was a guy from the tourist office who really helped us with various maps and gave us directions to what to see and what to do within next 10 hours .

I believe it was the Football world cup which made the city so inviting and tourist friendly . We meet all this volunteers in red t-shirt every where in the city , who were always there to help you reach your next destination .

We were standing in the bus terminus and thinking where to start . Priya was keen to visit Sachsenhausen Concentration camp and my priority was to take a city tour of Berlin and have some souvenir pictures with Brandenburg Gate and Reichstag .

We decided to go to Sachsenhausen Concentration camp first as its little far away from Berlin , I think around 35 km north.

Sachsenhausen was the earliest concentration camp constructed during the Third Reich and it is in Oranienburg, north of Berlin. So we bought our day pass and then boarded the S-Bahn line S1 from Berlin.

Upon arrival in Oranienburg, it takes about 20 minutes to walk from the station to the camp. Alternatively, there is a bus 804 which leaves from the square outside Oranienburg station (take the bus towards Malz as far as the memorial - Gedenkstätte), but the service is not very frequent (hourly, or every 2 hours on Sundays).

Sachsenhausen was a prototype for later more notorious camps such as Auschwitz, and was later used by the Soviet Union as a prison camp. It is a truly powerful and moving experience to walk the grounds, and there are hand held listening devices that can be purchased at the entrance booth to guide you along.

Two museums detailing the site's history, original barracks, the original entry gate and watchtowers are also there. There is a small historical marker along the route to the camp dedicated in memory of the April 1945 "Todesmarsch."

It was the first such place built in Germany, in 1936 and then more than 200,000 people were imprisoned . First most prisoners were "political" people against the Nazis like certain philosophical people and educational people, religious people, but then came the ones the Nazis considered inferior or bad: Gypsies, Jews, Jeohovah´s Witnesses, and others.

The entrance gate to the camp has the words "Arbeit macht frei", which means "hard work makes you free". These words were placed at the entrance of many of the German concentration camps. Of course the words were not true: however hard you worked while in the camp, you were not set free. The true policy was "Vernichtung durch Arbeit": extermination through work. New arrivals to the camp were greeted by SS guards with dogs and whips.

People from all parts of Europe , which Germans had invaded were sent here. Most died from cruelty, starvation, torture and mistreatment. It was a horrible place and time, inhumanity to humans by those who thought it was right and honorable to do so. Those that didn't die there were marched to death .

Because of its close place to Berlin is what also one of the camps with the most barbaric and unbelievable medical experiments.

The pathology room, one of the scariest rooms, I have ever been in. Knowing what was done here, even in a surrounding as horrible as the camp was sickening. I felt nauseous, though nothing remained behind except the sign to hint at what happened here when looking through the window.

The dissection room, were not just dissection happen but vivisection, live dismemberment of persons. Well it happened to people, people like you and me, for no reason but because they were a certain race or belief or creed.

We take having differences for granted today and even try to argue about it, but to Nazis such people were less than animals and deserving only death. What terrible arrogance!

Following the appointment of Heinrich Himmler as the Chief of the German Police, orders were given to build the Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp. The construction of KZ-Sachsenhausen started in 1936 and it was officially taken into use in 1938.

As the Red Army approached in 1945, the prisoners were marched off towards the North Sea in a death march that claimed over 6000 lives. After the camp's capture (and inclusion in the DDR), the Soviets immediately turned the tables and interned suspected Nazi functionaries in what now became Special Camp No. 7, killing another 12000 before the camp was closed in 1950.

The camp was finally closed in March 1950, after which it was used by the East German army and police. In 1961 the site was turned into a National Memorial: at that time it was used by the communist regime as a symbol of the "victory of anti-fascism over fascism".

Since the fall of the Berlin Wall and the re-unification of Germany, Sachsenhausen has been administered by a public trust called the Brandenburg Memorials Foundation.

Me and Priya were on our own and I must say that the hand held were very helpful , but I would prefer to come to this place and spend a whole day . Though we were exploring the place on our own but from time to time I was listening to the tour guides of “New Berlin Tour”, and I must say their story telling was amazing .

If you are interested to visit Sachsenhausen , take this Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp Tour .

I will write a separate review about Sachsenhausen , not really willing to lengthen my Berlin travelogue with Sachsenhausen. It's a very sad history which still haunts us .If you want to read more , visit the following link .Its a long link but its a great page to learn more about this place and see much better snaps than mine.

http://www.chgs.umn.edu/Visual___Artistic_Resources/Public_Holocaust_Memorials/Sachsenhausen_Concentration_Ca/sachsenhausen_concentration_ca.html

Though we felt like spending more time in Sachsenhausen and learning about the holocaust , but we had only a single day . And we wanted to see the historical sights of Berlin as well .

We had our lunch on the train way back to Berlin and I was also studying the map at the same time . Normally all sightseeing tour buses start from Zoo Garten , but I decided to start the city tour on my own with Brandenburger Tor. So we decided to get down at Unter den Linden instead of Zoo Garten.

Unter den Linden , Berlin's most elegant boulevard flanked by linden trees starts at the Brandenburg Gate and stretches over the Schloss Bridge to the Schloss Platz. It is one of grand urban gestures done by Friedrich Wilhelm and was the main axis of the Prussian metropolis.

In the 1930s Nazis replaced linden trees with flag posts, and the boulevard was replanted again after the war but with the establishment of the wall on its western edge it lost most of its meaning.

Slowly but carefully GDR has put a lot of efforts to reconstruct most of the historic buildings from the war debris and today big works (still going on here) are in fact only make up efforts to make this grand boulevard shine in all its monumental glory.

Berlin has so much history and it is all around wherever you go. There are of course 2 main threads of history which run through Berlin - Hitler/World War 2 and the Cold War/Berlin Wall.

The history and stories about the Berlin Wall are so heartbreaking. It went up overnight and people who were stuck on the wrong side that night could never go home or see their family again for 28 years. Parts of the wall have been kept as is, and to stand there and see the no mans land where so many potential escapees were shot and killed was sobering.

You must see the Brandenburg Gate and I'm sure everyone who goes to Berlin ends up seeing it. It's like the culmination of a long-expected moment when you get there, and it's really great.

Built in the 18th century as the entrance to the city of Prussian Kings, this imposing and beautiful structure has become the ultimate symbol of the division and reunification of Germany.

The Brandenburger Tor is probably the most symbolic landmark in Berlin, and likely to be the number one destination for any tourist visiting the city. It is also conveniently central, and a good starting point for wandering to see any of the city, east or west.

We were in Berlin during the group matches of football world cup . There was a giant football built next to Brandenburger Tor , which was kind of blocking the view of the historic gate.

After Brandenburger Tor we visited Reichstag .Built in 1894 as the parliament for the German republic, the Reichstag is once again the seat of government for a unified Germany, after the government of the country was split between Bonn and East Berlin for four decades.

Reichstag symbolizes how Berlin has combined the old and the new in its architecture, art, and society. The government building is very old and most of the architecture reflects it. But after the "Wall" came down, they added a big glass dome on top of the government building.

The glass dome is really fascinating in its huge size, dominating the Berlin skyline; in its simplicity and in its symbolics. Everyone can access it for free (there are queues in front of the main entrance to Reichstag).

There' s a great roof-terrace on top of the building from which you have an amazing view on the city. My tip is to come here in the evening when you don't have to queue anymore for several hours.

There is a small presentation of the history of the building at the basement of the cupola. Although the lines can be long (go there early!) it did not take us more that 45 minutes to go inside and there were officials who were offering free brochures you can study while waiting.

After Reichstag we wanted to take one of the city sightseeing tours . But none accepted us on board as it was almost 4.30 pm . So we decided to continue our city tour using public transport.

Bus lines 100 and 200

The city center of Berlin stretching across several kilometers, therefore it is advisable to use public transport to explore the city. There are several routes leading along the most important sights. On their way from Zoologischer Garten to Alexanderplatz the bus lines 100 and 200 pass many of the major tourist attractions - riding one of these buses is just like going on a sightseeing tour.

We took number 100 from Unter den Linden to Alexander-platz. At the beginning of the 19th century, the Alexander-platz was one of the busiest squares in the city. Originally it was called the Ochsenmarkt or oxen market, but after a visit by Tzar Alexander I, it was renamed to Alexanderplatz.

The locals simply call this large square 'Alex'.

Most of the buildings on the square were destroyed by bombing during the second world war. As the center of East-Berlin, the square was used as a showcase of socialist architecture. This resulted in some plain bulky buildings and a huge television tower.

Berlin's highest edifice, the Fernsehturm; (TV-Tower), was opened in 1969 and is known to the vernacular as "Telespargel".

If it is a clear day and the line isn't too long I would definitely recommend heading up for some nice views. The elevator ride takes you up about 200m in 40 seconds which is a bit of fun. There are directional indicators and an hour can easily be idled away gazing out at the skyline recognizing the city's famous landmarks.

The history of the tower is very interesting. The former GDR saw the necessity to build a powerful transmitter in the middle of the eastern part of Berlin and in addition to this the Television Tower was meant to become an architectural and political symbol.

Each year now about 1 million people visit the tower to soak in the views and have the opportunity to enjoy the restaurant at the top that rotates twice an hour.

Opening hours : March - October: 9.00 am - 1.00 am

November - February: 10.00 am - midnight

Price: Adults: 7.50 Euro up to 16 years: 3.50 Euro

Directions: S-BahnS5, S7, S75, S9 U-BahnU2, U5, U8 Bus 100, 148, 200

Website: www.berlinerfernsehturm.de

Der Alex is all hustle and bustle, and has plenty of great places to eat, drink and shop. If you are on the east side, then you'll want to stop off here at some point, or you'll be missing out on a good part of what Berlin is, and was, all about. It also serves as a great starting point for a walk to the Brandenburg gate, taking you along the wide Under den Linden boulevard, across the elegant river Spree, past the nasty old Palast der Republik, and into Pariser Platz.

From Alex we took a short walk to visit the Berlin Dom.

The Berliner Dom or Berlin Cathedral was built in 1905. It is located on the historic 'Museum Island' in the river Spree.The first church built on the site of the current Cathedral was a 1465 church. The building, which later served as the court church for the Hohenzollern family was replaced by a cathedral, built between 1745 and 1747 in a Baroque design from Johann Boumann.

It was reconstructed into a classicist building from 1816 to 1822 following a design by the Berlin architect Karl Friedrich Schinkel. On Emperor Willem II's order, this domed building was demolished in 1894 and replaced by the current Cathedral.

Much larger than any of the previous buildings, it was a Protestant counterweight to the St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. The baroque building with Italian Renaissance influences was designed by Julius Raschdorff. Construction of the 114m long and 73m wide Cathedral took place between 1894 and 1905.

During the Second World War, the building was hit by a fire bomb which severely damaged much of the Cathedral. A temporary roof was installed to protect what remained of the interior and in 1975 reconstruction of the church started .

The restoration of the interior begun in 1984 and in 1993 the church reopened. During reconstruction, the original design was modified into a more simplified form.

Website: http://www.berliner-dom.de

We took some nice snaps around Berlin Dom and then again boarded Bus 100 towards Zoologischer Garten . On our way we stumbled on a beautiful building which looked like and amphitheater . I looked at my guide book and it seemed that we were in front of Das Haus der Kulturen (the House Of World Cultures).

The former Kongresshalle, now called Haus der Kulturen der Welt (House of World Cultures), was built in 1957 as the American contribution to the international building exhibition. Due to its characteristic roof (which was rebuilt after collapsing in 1980), it was nicknamed "Schwangere Auster" (pregnant oyster) by the Berliners.

After taking few cools snaps with pregnant oyster , we were again on board Bus 100 , heading towards Zoologischer Garten .

Though Berlin Zoo is quite renowned we didn't have time to visit the animals. We were bit exhausted by this time and settled for some coffee and donuts at Dunkin's Donuts over looking Kaiser Wilhelm Gedächtniskirche.

The Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtniskirche or Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church is one of Berlin's most famous landmarks. This damaged tower is a symbol of Berlin's resolve to rebuild the city after the war and a constant reminder of the destruction of war.

After a long eventful day we relaxed in Zoologischer Garten . There was so much more to see but we can't do everything in a single day . And we were also quite tired and exhausted . We again took bus 100 to go from Zoologischer Garten to Der Alex and back .

We watched football fans , luckily we were there right in the middle of World Cup group play. Berlin was just one of the cities hosting games, and they had fan activities all over the place.

Nothing could have prepared me for the Soccer Fever that was in this city. Every where you look theres soccer balls, flags, bears. There are tourists from all over the world wearing their nation flags. Brazilian fans were much visible because of the bright color of their uniform and Some ( specially ladies ) wearing nothing BUTT their national flags.. Its crazy.

The Berliners are often friendly and extremely helpful, although you may also encounter the famous 'Berliner Schnauze,' a certain brusqueness that can seem rude. Most of the usual good places to go are in West Berlin, but the eastern part of the city under many aspects is more fascinating than the western part. Berlin has an amazing number of sights, though it lacks the charm of Paris as a city. The citizens of Berlin more than make up for this, though.

In fact, Berlin has not only one centre but several, and sights are spread all over the area. In the western part, between the Ku’damm (Kurfürstendamm) and Tegel Airport is Schloss Charlottenburg, the Baroque palace with English gardens that Frederick I built for his wife Sophie-Charlotte. Across the street is the fascinating Egyptian (Ägyptisches) Museum, which houses the famous 3000-year-old bust of Nefertiti.

The true historical center of the city is in the eastern half. Probably the most easily recognized monument is the Brandenburg Gate, which was the main gathering place for celebrations following the fall of the wall in 1989. On its eastern side is Pariser Platz.

Plans are underway to fill in the gaps around the square’s perimeter, primarily with new embassies for France, the U.S., and the U.K. The once majestic boulevard 'Unter den Linden' is today an eight-block study in overstated imperial grandeur and Eastern Bloc drabness.

The most notable buildings are found at the eastern end, such as the Staatsbibliothek (State Library), Humboldt University, Neue Wache (national memorial), the Zeughaus (Museum of German History), and the grand Staatsoper.

Across the Schlossbrücke (Palace Bridge) is the Berlin Cathedral, whose crypt contains the remains of German kaisers. The cathedral is located on an island, the northern end of which is better known as the Museuminsel.

The Museuminsel is home to the famous Pergamon Museum, which contains the Pergamon altar as well as the Gate of Milet, as well as the Bode Museum, Altes Museum, Old National Gallery, and Neues Museum (undergoing reconstruction). This group of neoclassical buildings is the reason Berlin is sometimes called 'Athens on the Spree.'

Berlin is a historic city for more than just world war two, for a second world war and cold war buff this place is amazing, The holocaust museum and Check Point Charlie are only 10 minutes apart. Much of the infamous Berlin wall still stands today though mostly it is used as a tourist attraction for many Berliners it is a constant reminder of the bad old days when firstly there city was chopped into 4 by the allied forces after world war 2 and then secondly the scary days and nights living under soviet rule knowing that if world war three was going to happen, it was going to start on your front door.

Berlin , an amazing city of contrasts, so keen to move on from their past, but still clinging to small parts of it because it is so much a part of their identity.

This is a city with such a turbulent history that with the new facades and makeup, it is hard to imagine that it had a time when there were no buildings left standing and Hitler's body was being pulled from the rubble. But the amount of growth and hope that holds the city together was palpable. It was incredible to witness. More soon on that location.. need another trip there to really realize it.