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Last Updated: 03. Mai 2000
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Germany
Berlin: A City with Many Treasures
German Christianity
Kaiser Wilhelm Kirche
East Berlin and the TV Tower
Haus von Checkpoint Charlie
Käthe Kollwitz Museum
Other Museums
Berlin Zoo – Zoologischer Garten Berlin
KaDeWe and Europa Center
Berlin
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No visit to Germany, or even to Europe, would be complete without a stop in Berlin. At one time it was a major center for trade, politics, and entertainment. The city was devastated during World War II, divided into sectors controlled by the Allied powers and then the separation was set into stone with the Berlin Wall, built in 1961 and fortified over the years.
As change swept through Eastern Europe in the late 1980s, the wall came tumbling down in 1989. Recently the united city has again become the capital of the united Germany. The task is daunting but the restoration and building continues. At times Berlin looks as if it is populated by strange, tall creatures, but these are just the many cranes helping to restore this once great capital.
Berlin is a city with many cultural diversions, such as art museums, science museums, and a large zoo. With so much history and so much art and so many animals, we had to extend our stay over quite a few days and include a weekend.
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German Christianity
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Since we were staying through Sunday we e-mailed missionary friends to find the address of other World Harvest missionaries in the Berlin Area. We connected with the Scotts and discovered that the church was very close to the hotel where we were staying.
It was unique to worship God in German and we are realizing that God is not defined by political boundaries and how much of the church in America is defined by American culture – though this is another topic for future discussions. Fortunately, this church in Berlin provides translations of the service (except for the songs) in English and in Spanish. It was uplifting to be able to worship with German Christians and not feel totally lost with the language.
The Germans (and actually most Europeans) are very social people who are great conversationalists. They love to socialize at cafes or take long strolls on Sunday afternoons. Sundays are a time for families and friends. So this German church started a café for opportunities for fellowship and a youth ‘works’ ministry. Sunday afternoon after church, people can go to a little café located in a community building to have lunch and fellowship. It was a great idea – we could borrow some ideas from this church.
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Kaiser Wilhelm Kirche (Gedächtniskirche)
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We started our historical investigation with the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Kirche, built in the mid 1800’s to honor Germany’s first emperor. This church was, along with much of Berlin, bombed several times throughout WWII and devastated by 1945. Only a scant skeleton exists of the previous church. The people of Berlin decided to leave the remains of the church as a memorial to all people about the devastation and destruction from war. The old entrance beneath the tower has become a Memorial Hall. The exhibition traces the history of the church, recalls the victims of the war, and calls for reconciliation. On the ceiling and walls are some restored mosaics to the glory of the Hohenzollerns and the Empire. A beautiful modern church and bell tower was built at the same site. The new church has amazing stained glass structure with the stained glass produced in Chartres, France as part of the reconciliation. The atmosphere of the church coveys peace and quietness – encouraging your spirit to rest upon God.
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East Berlin and the TV Tower
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When Chris was in Europe on a study abroad trip during his high school years, he spent two weeks in Berlin. This was in the summer of 1970. He had the opportunity to take a bus tour into East Berlin. A good portion of the time on the bus tour was spent going through passport control at Checkpoint Charlie and on a propaganda tour of the People’s Palace. So, East Berlin was a must see for Chris on our tour of Europe. Since 1970, there have been many changes in East Berlin as well as Germany as a whole, especially since 1989.
We took a transit bus through the Tierpark, pass the Brandenburg Gate, along Unter den Linden to the TV tower. Berlin’s TV tower is 365 meters (1198 ft) high. This tower was built in 1969 to showcase the DDR. It could be seen from most of Berlin, due to its height. A legend that has emerged, we can’t verify its truth, was that while the DDR was closing churches and removing crosses from the DDR the tower was built. However, it was built with reflective tiles that form the ball of the tower. These tiles were designed to reflect a cross whenever the sun shines. Despite the attempts by the DDR to dull this reflection, it still shines today.
At the top of the tower are an observation deck and a revolving restaurant. In the restaurant, it is possible to enjoy Kaffee und Kuchen while revolving. The food is not bad but a little over priced. From the top it is possible to have a wonderful panoramic view of both East and West Berlin. We found the Kaiser Wilhelm Kirche, the Tierpark, two airports (watching planes land and take off), the new Jewish Synagogue, Museum Island, Käthe Kollwitz’ house in East Berlin and of course Alexanderplatz. After an enjoyable lunch, we walked around the former East Berlin amazed at the changes that are occurring in this vibrant city.
Then we walked along Unter den Linden and Chris explained the differences between Berlin in the 70’s and Berlin today. Finally, we arrived at Brandenburg Gate (Brandenburger Tor). This is another famous image of Berlin, and for three decades it was a symbol of the city’s division. Near this monument, there was a lot of construction and old buildings. This area reminded Chris about the Berlin that he saw in the early 1970’s. The old building of the People’s Palace was nearby and Chris told us the story about the ‘propaganda talk’ from the East German tour guide. Today, it is a hollow shell with much graffiti and there are questions about its fate. It may be torn down or used to house cultural exhibits. However, in the present state, it is hard to imagine it as one of the ‘glory buildings’ of the East German government.
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Haus von Checkpoint Charlie
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Finally, we took the U-bahn to the Checkpoint Charlie Museum (Haus von Checkpoint Charlie). Before going to the museum, we saw the location of Checkpoint Charlie and found a small portion of the Berlin Wall. Only a small portion of the wall remains, unfortunately. People wanted this symbol removed as a sign of the change in Germany and over time the people did tear down the wall. You can still find a brass insert in the ground, streets, and sidewalks that commemorate the position of the wall in Berlin. Chris told us more stories about his experience passing through Checkpoint Charlie with the tour bus. We then entered the museum and discovered it packed with stories, old photos and some the equipment used to smuggle people out of East Berlin, including an old green Beetle. There were several videos of old documentary films and even some news footage of the opening of the Wall in November 1989. It was a moving experience to see, on one hand, the initial fears of the East Berliners and, at the same time, the joy and elation of the Berliners as they broke down the wall that divided their city for nearly 30 years.
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Käthe Kollwitz Museum
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While there are many historical places to investigate in Berlin, this city has many art collections to explore as well. After contemplating the need for our dependence on God, especially in difficult situations, we visited the Käthe Kollwitz Museum. This woman artist dedicated her life to human rights – exposing the oppression of the poor and the pain from war, revolts and death. Her own son died while fighting in WWI. Her woodcuts and lithographic prints concerning the subjects of a mother and her children are very moving. One of her prints was used during the Vietnam protest movement in the United States during the 1960’s. It is titled “No More War” (Nie wieder Krieg). It seemed appropriate to visit a museum devoted to her work after seeing the Kaiser Wilhelm Kirche. Let artists such as Käthe Kollwitz always remind us of the pain and suffering of war – so we do not lightly choose war as a means of resistance so quickly. Peaceful resistance is still possible and powerful if we can be patient and endure.
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Other Museums
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During our time in the East Berlin, we walked around to glimpse the changes that had begun since the Wall came down. In one of our travels, we walked until we crossed over to Museum Island and then we searched for the Pergamon Museum. Because of the renovations in the area, this museum was difficult to find. The Pergamon Museum has a re-construction of the Pergamon Temple from Greece. There are extensive explanations about the Temple and the audio guide is extensive. The Ishtar Gate from Babylon is also located in this museum. The Babylonian art was especially interesting to see because Erika just finished reading about King Nebuchadnezzar.
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On our travels through the city to discover its history, we also investigated the cultural heritage of the early 20th Century art movement. There are many excellent museums in Berlin but there are two museums that were especially interesting to me.
Berlin is known for the German expressionist movement, so there is a museum devoted to “Die Brücke” (“The Bridge”) movement. At the Brücke Museum, we found Karl Schmidt-Rottluff, Emil Nolde, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner Erich Heckel, represented.
Germany is also noted for the Bauhaus School, so there is a museum about the Bauhaus movement in Berlin. Both are highly recommended. At the Bauhaus Museum, we found an in depth description of the philosophy of the Bauhaus School and works of teachers and students. The industrial designs and craftwork of the Bauhaus movement are on display as well as sculptures and paintings by Gropius, Moholy-Nagy, Feininger, Kandinsky and Klee.
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Berlin Zoo – Zoologischer Garten Berlin
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Since Berlin has one of Europe’s (or World’ s) largest zoos, and Erika was asking us to take her to the zoo for about 2 months, we had to go to the Berlin Zoo. We spent an entire warm and sunny day at the zoo. The Berlin Zoo has many interesting architectural features and an interesting history. By 1939 the Berlin Zoo was one of the most, if not the most, important in the world. During the Second World War, the zoo was bombed extensively. Animals escaped or were killed and by the end of the war only 91 of the more than 4000 mammals and birds from 1400 species remained.
There are two main entrances. Across from the Zoo railway station is the Lion Gate, flanked by two lions guarding the entrance. On Budapester Strasse is the Elephant Gate, the more colorful of the two. On either side of the Elephant Gate are two huge stone elephants which beckon children (and adults) to come and climb and play on them.
Inside the Zoologischer Garten there are elephant exhibits, a Flamingo exhibit, monkeys, and more. Throughout the Zoo are man-made ponds and walkways. The giraffes and antelopes are housed in a Mosque-like building. ‘Mr. Popper’s’ penguins are housed in an Antarctic environment. These penguins loved to follow each other around the small ice float. They never jumped in the water though. The bison are housed in a wood structure that tries to mimic a Western Lodge even with an Indian motif. The black bears were wrestling and the kangaroos were hopping. The children’s play area is also a treat. There is so very much to see and it was a fun day for everyone.
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KaDeWe and Europa Center
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We finished the day by going to the famous KaDeWe department store. The name stands for Kaufhaus des Westens (Department Store of the West). We explored the large store, heard a pianist playing (which reminded Pat of Nordstrom’s) and ate dinner at the excellent self-service cafeteria on the top floor (Winter Garten).
One other place we visited was the Europa Center next to the Kaiser Wilhelm Kirche. One can not miss the Europa Center. It is next to the Kaiser Wilhelm Kirche and has the famous rotating Mercedes Benz symbol on the top. Among the shops and restaurants there are interesting fountains and an enclosed 3-story water clock on the Blumenhof designed by Bernard Gitton. The clock is a marvel of water physics and keeps rather accurate time.
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Die Fotogalerie von die Deutschland
You can contact us by email to either Chris or Pat.
We will try to respond as soon as possible.
See you all later.
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