See the church in the background? It's right under the arches. I didn't see it the first time either because it is currently being restored and in doing so workers erected scaffolding that looks like the outside of a building. Before the war, the church was a prominent feature on Ku'Damm, but it was heavily bombed out and left in ruins after the war. I had to get some of these photos from inside the lobby of the old church where they have displays, but you can also see how ornate the old church was.
After the war, it was decided to leave the bombed out building as a memorial and build a new one in the same location. Though it kind of looks blocky and grey, but the walls of both the church and the belltower are cement blocks inlaid with large pieces of colored glass - mostly blue - which was handcrafted and made in France and given to the Germans as a post-war offer of reconciliation. When it is lit up from either the inside or outside, it's beautiful.
And, of course, the organ is also very cool in that it's not your typical cathedral pipe organ, but has more of a modern look, encased in geometric wood paneling. And the sound is also beautiful:
I accidentally took the video vertically and haven't been able to figure out how to rotate it yet. Any help there? Anyway, I was very glad I stopped in while the organ was being played. It is a nice little harbor of calm amidst a very busy shopping center!
Then, last night, on the way back to Berlin from Golm, I decided I'd stay on the train to the Ostbahnhof, East Berlin's main train station before reunification, and check out the East Side Gallery. The East Side Gallery is the longest stretch of the Berlin Wall left in place. It stretches a mile or a kilometer (or something like that) between Ostbahnhof and the Warschauer Straße S-Bahn stops. The wall is divided into multiple murals which artists are invited to come and paint once the space is whitewashed every now and again. I took a lot of photos, but will only put a few up here.
And by a few, I mean a lot. It was really eerie walking the length of the wall at night imagining what it would be like to be living in East Berlin, being so close to freedom, but not being able to get there. Pretty dismal, actually. You can even tell by the buildings and the seeming depravity in the general area that East Berlin was very utilitarian: no frills whatsoever. Interestingly, this area is now home to the largest Turkish population outside Turkey and a lot of younger, hipster-type people, and students live out this way, giving a unique identity for the city. One thing I learned about the wall's construction is that it used to be topped with barbed wire. The wire was replaced after too many E. Berliners were able to grab a hold of it and use it to hoist themselves over the wall. It was replaces with a round cement tube which fit on top of the wall. The tube is too round, smooth, and wide to hold on to, making it much more difficult for people to climb over.
Unfortunately, I think my Berlin sightseeing is all done! There is still so much to see and learn! For instance, next time I'm here I want to get out to the Berlin Olympic Stadium, the Tempelhof City Park, Charlottenberg Palace, Palace Sanssouci in Potsdam, and the Germany National History Museum and really get a chance to check out the neighborhoods and the character they offer.
Tomorrow I get on the train and take it down to Nürnberg where I'll meet up with my sister for the weekend. Not entirely sure what will be open down there this time of year, but I'm sure we'll be able to keep ourselves amused!
Here is the entire photo set from my trip:
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