View from the Fernseheturm in Berlin, GermanyAfter our visit to the TV in Berlin (the view was astonishing!) we were considering visiting the Museum of German History or one of the several Exhibitions related to the history of the Stasi in Eastern Germany.
We were tired already and a visit to the German History Museum needs time, strenght and state of mind. We then decided to go and see an exhibition about the Stasi, around Unter den Linden in downtown Berlin.
This exhibition was almost empty, when we arrived, the person taking care of it was outside having a cigarrette. The entrance was for free, but few material was available in English. And my german is not yet good enough to understand this kind of exhibitions, with German history I am not familiar with, characters I am not familiar with, as well as places I am not yet very familiar with.
But my wife helped me to understand a lot of the material presented. Whole folders and files with information (very detailed) of citizens of former East Berlin, and how the government used to spy on them. I have never experienced such feelings. Perhaps only in an exhibition in Barcelona, about the Civil War in Spain and what the prisoners went through in the jails in the Franco era. Still, there was a small booklet with information in English, which I really took my time to read.
You really cannot believe how this sort of things happen. There were uniforms of policemen, which I imagined then, coming to knock to your house to detain you for whatever reason, made me feel really really frightened. Or, as in the movie "The life of others", that depicted how the Stasi used to keep the smell of the sweat of people inside bottles in handkerchiefs, there were some of these on exhibition as well.
The exhibition had loads of stories: double agents, spying for both sides; sad stories; funny stories (the DDR trying to portray a type machine as East German, but with a made in Japan sign that someone forgot to remove), and loads of documents, clothes, and stuff from these years.
Sadly, we could not get through everything, we were at the middle of the exhibition but it was time to close. And we had to leave. Again, Berlin should be an obligatory point to visit for everybody. Loads of 20th century history in this city.
Later on, we went to enjoy a nice coffe and a delicious piece of cake at the Opera House Coffe. See the photo below. It was nice, not so expensive, and a good place to relax.
We were tired already and a visit to the German History Museum needs time, strenght and state of mind. We then decided to go and see an exhibition about the Stasi, around Unter den Linden in downtown Berlin.
This exhibition was almost empty, when we arrived, the person taking care of it was outside having a cigarrette. The entrance was for free, but few material was available in English. And my german is not yet good enough to understand this kind of exhibitions, with German history I am not familiar with, characters I am not familiar with, as well as places I am not yet very familiar with.
But my wife helped me to understand a lot of the material presented. Whole folders and files with information (very detailed) of citizens of former East Berlin, and how the government used to spy on them. I have never experienced such feelings. Perhaps only in an exhibition in Barcelona, about the Civil War in Spain and what the prisoners went through in the jails in the Franco era. Still, there was a small booklet with information in English, which I really took my time to read.
You really cannot believe how this sort of things happen. There were uniforms of policemen, which I imagined then, coming to knock to your house to detain you for whatever reason, made me feel really really frightened. Or, as in the movie "The life of others", that depicted how the Stasi used to keep the smell of the sweat of people inside bottles in handkerchiefs, there were some of these on exhibition as well.
The exhibition had loads of stories: double agents, spying for both sides; sad stories; funny stories (the DDR trying to portray a type machine as East German, but with a made in Japan sign that someone forgot to remove), and loads of documents, clothes, and stuff from these years.
Sadly, we could not get through everything, we were at the middle of the exhibition but it was time to close. And we had to leave. Again, Berlin should be an obligatory point to visit for everybody. Loads of 20th century history in this city.
Later on, we went to enjoy a nice coffe and a delicious piece of cake at the Opera House Coffe. See the photo below. It was nice, not so expensive, and a good place to relax.
Before we came to Hamburg, we considered Berlin as an option for us to live. But after our trip to Berlin, we are happy that we chose Hamburg. Berlin is too big, noisy, crowded and a little bit dirty. Berlin is cool, great if we would be 20 or 25 years old. But the unemployment is high and salaries are not that good either. Berlin is great, if you are young and you are looking for art, new ideas, trendy bars, bohemian life style. Which would have been great for me, 5 years ago.Hamburg is a better option, if you want to start a family, a steady job and start a carreer. That's my opinion and my experiences.
Still, we will be going to back to Berlin often. Myself, I will be back again in october. And I am already looking forward to it.
6 comments:
Exhibition about prisons under Franco? Was that a temporary exhibition?
Hello
I'm a South African living in Germany, have been to Berlin a few times and love that city!!
Hello, as it is Oktoberfest in most of southern Germany now, (and cheesy reproductions in the United States), can describe what takes place in Hamburg, if anything?
I understand northern Germans detest this Bavarian holiday as uncouth --just hooligans in lederhosen..
kendall
Los Angeles
Hello Marcelle
Berlin is one of our favourites cities in Europe. This week I will be there for four days for business. I am looking forward to it already.
Hello "anonymous"
For oktoberfest, nothing happened here in Hamburg. Nothing that I could see at least.
Perhaps in some Bavarian restaurants, but nothing else.
Germans in general have some special feelings towards Bavarians. One time, I tried to explain to a Catalonian, that Bavaria (Bayern) was the equivalent to Catalonia in Spain. As they both feel and think are special and different from the rest.
The Catalonian looked at me and asked me: what do you mean? why do you think we Catalonians think we are special?
Of course he knew what I was talking about.
Oh my! that was really a lovely place.
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