Berlin, Berlin, Berlin!

April and I spent an amazing weekend in Berlin. We stayed with the family of a girl whom I work with, Laura. On Thursday evening, we drove with Laura about three hours from Bayreuth to Berlin. Driving in a car was particularly nice, as the train would have taken double the time!

The next morning, April and I went with Laura to see all of the historical attractions that Berlin has to offer. First, of course, were the remains of the Berlin wall, which was a physical barrier completely encircling West Berlin and separating it from the German Democratic Republic (East Germany), including East Berlin. The wall separated East Germany from West Germany for more than a quarter of a century, from the day construction began on August 13, 1961 until the Wall was brought down on November 9, 1989.

Next, we saw the Brandenberg Gate that used to separate the East and West sides of the city. This was where President Kennedy gave the famous “Ich bin ein Berliner” speech in 1961.

Afterwards, we came upon Checkpoint Charlie, which was the crossing point between the former East and West sides of Berlin. This point was guarded by the U.S. soldiers on the West side and by the Russian soldiers on the East side. We were also able to see the Reichstag. This is the huge building (near the Brandenberg Gate) where the German “Congress” lives. Now that Berlin has again become the capital of the reunited two Germanies, it is the center of the German government. Laura, April, and I then walked along the Kurfürstendam (“Ku-dam”) or the main street that has many excellent shops, restaurants, and nightclubs. This street was where all the big nightlife was in the 1980s.

One interesting thing about Berlin is the Ampelmännchen, or the little traffic light man. This figure is the symbolic person shown on traffic lights at pedestrian crossings in what was formerly East Germany. Before the German reunification in 1990, the two German states had different forms for the Ampelmännchen, with the usual human figure in West Germany traffic crossings and a male figure wearing a hat in the East.

The next day, Laura, April, and I met up with Laura’s sister, Aglaia, and we went to the KaDeWe, a huge German department store, for some shopping. Coming from New York, I have seen some pretty impressive malls, but I was truly in awe of KaDeWe (Kaufhaus Des Westens). Besides having some great clothing stores, there were amazing art sculptures, fountains, ponds, and flowers spread out around the interior of the mall. Outside of KaDeWe, we took some pictures with some Berlin bear statues (the bear is the mascot of Berlin). These statues were beautifully painted in different ways to represent different countries from around the world.

At night, we all went to a club called 40 Seconds (so named for the forty seconds it takes on an elevator to get to the top of the building where the club is located). We had a fun time dancing, but it is still hard for me to get used to the techno music that is so often played in German clubs.

The following morning, April and I went with Laura and her parents to take their dog, Nick, to a dog park. One thing I have noticed about Germans is that they are very close to their families, and I admire this quality very much. After living in Germany for almost two months, it seems to me as though Americans are sometimes too fast-paced with their lifestyles. For me, it was quite relaxing walking through the park on a misty Sunday morning with Laura, her parents, and her dog. I must admit, I never thought I would visit a dog park while I was in Berlin!

Since I have been in Germany, I have heard so much about Berlin. Countless times I have been asked if I have been there, and now I can proudly say that I have. I do agree with my friends that no German city is quite like Berlin. It is a place that is so historical, yet at the same time, so modern.