What were you doing in the autumn of 1989? I was 9 years old and I had just started at a new school. I had also just moved house for the first time. These were big, life-changing events for 9 year old me. I remember watching the news with my parents and seeing the scenes being played out in Germany at the time, but I guess it wasn’t really too high on my 9 year old agenda. I certainly wasn’t aware at the time what a monumental and pivotal event was unfolding in a city not that far from my home. The fall of the Berlin Wall in November 1989 signified the end of the iron curtain and what would eventually also be the end of communism in Eastern Europe.
There are so many iconic sights I feel a need to see in this city due to the amount of earth-shattering historical events that have occurred here. As a rough plan for our first day in Berlin we decide to alight in Potsdamer Platz and wander past some of these famous landmarks before lunch. Our walk immediately takes us past the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe. This breath taking field of concrete sarcophagi occupies 19000 square metres of real estate in central Berlin and consists of 2711 slabs arranged in a grid pattern on an undulating surface. The effect is almost labyrinthine and certainly feels never ending whilst wandering its lofty corridors. The number 2711 is purely because that’s how many fit in the allotted space, but what it represents is an altogether more terrifying number. There is an attached underground information room which contains the names of around 3 million Jews, obtained from the Yad Vashem memorial in Israel, who were murdered during the Holocaust. I find that figure almost impossible to comprehend, and that’s only half of the estimated six million Jews in total who lost their lives during “the final solution”. Think about that for a second. Six million innocent people across a 4 year period.
Reeling from the gravity of the holocaust memorial, we continue north up Ebertstrasse and find ourselves at the foot of the Brandenburg gate. This Greek revival building is way more impressive in person than in all the pictures I’ve seen of it. Since it’s construction in 1788, the Gate has seen more than it’s fair share of history, including Napoleon marching through it after his conquest over Prussia in 1806; surviving the bomb attacks of WW2 (just about); and forming a pivotal part of the erection and eventual dismantling of the Berlin Wall. Pretty humbling to walk the same path as Napoleon all those years ago.
We amble on, and it’s only a stones throw to the Reichstag, the German parliamentary building. We haven’t prebooked to step inside it’s enormous glass dome, so instead we take in its architectural splendour from the pavement. There is a pretty moving monument next to the ticket booth which commemorates the members of the Reichstag who have been murdered by the National Socialists – 96 in total!
By now the kids have just about had enough German history and architecture for one morning and are crying out for sustenance. You’ve probably gathered by now that I’m a pretty big fan of a good food hall, and Berlin has a stonker in the form of MarktHalle Neun. Supposedly it’s pretty hard to get traditional German food in Berlin, it’s more of a melting pot for all sorts of international cuisines instead, and this warehouse showcases that perfectly. Once again spoilt for choice I opted for a metal tray full of meaty smoked deliciousness from the aptly named Big Stuff BBQ and Bar. Kate had a bowl of perfectly prepared Creamy lemon risotto and the kids chose their own freshly made egg pasta with cheesy sauce from Mani In Pasta. After a just in case wee, a quick visit to the awesome vintage photo booth and an amazingly thick Ethiopian coffee for the road, we set off in search of the East Side Gallery and the Wall Museum.
The East Side Gallery is the longest surviving stretch of the original wall in Berlin at 1316 metres long. This huge expanse of concrete is covered in around 100 iconic paintings commentating on the political landscape around the time of the fall of wall. Unfortunately most of them are reproductions as they fell victim to vandalism over the years, but it’s awesome to see them up close nonetheless.
There is also a very cool museum dedicated to the Wall here on the second floor of an unassuming building overlooking the Spree. You can really get a sense of life behind the wall while winding your way through it’s exhibits. We even managed to bag an original piece of wall as a souvenir – although you can buy this stuff all over Berlin. Apparently a savvy entrepreneur called Volker Pawlowski bought 300m of the wall which he stores in his warehouse and uses to supply most of the local gift shops. Genius!
On our way back to the train station we have one last stop to make – Checkpoint Charlie.
This was the most famous crossing point from East Berlin to West Berlin during the Cold War. The guard house and sign that stand here today are just replicas as the originals are on display in the Allied Museum, but it’s a great photo opportunity all the same, so we wait for the opportunity to grab a few snaps before heading home for the day.
For our second day in Berlin we decide to take it a bit easier, and instead of trying to take in too much we just head straight for the epic Deutsche Technik Museum.
A word of warning, this science and technology centre is absolutely bloody massive! It occupies several huge buildings and an added outdoor space. We explored the first five storey building dedicated to shipping and aviation first before deciding we didn’t have enough time left to tackle the engine shed or outside areas. Instead we decide to walk over to the Spectrum Science Centre for a few hours of hands-on science experiments and fun. This sort of environment is brilliant for providing some educational input for the kids but in a fun way.
Satisfied that the kids have had their science lesson for the week, we take our leave to grab a quick curry wurst on our way home. Thanks Berlin, you’ve been a blast.