A friend tried to explain to me what Berlin was like - she said 'grungy'. This could not be more accurate. Berlin was grungy, dirty and crazy. I got to experience the 'real Berlin' (from the safe confines of a tour group!) and was honestly surprised at the entrenched culture of Berliner people. Street art is everywhere, graffiti has meaning, squatting was a way of life,'sell-outs' are considered the worst of the worst and riots are turned into friendly street parties.
However, it must be noted that the artistic, grittiness of Berlin has stemmed from its not so distant past. Berlin is a very historical and interesting city. During another free walking tour (yes, another) of the city I learnt about the construction and destruction of the Berlin Wall - something I hadn't really known much about beforehand. It is unimaginable to think that in just one night the entire city of West Berlin (156km) was walled in. Walking around the city there is now a tiled path representing where the wall once stood. Seeing photos or post cards depicting these events surely can't even begin to give people an idea of what it would be like to live in a city separated by a wall.
Berlin's role in WWII is another part of Germany's history which is hard to fathom as you walk through the square of the Book Burning's or see buildings that were affected by Kristallnacht. Additionally, more than 60 years on Berlin is still rebuilding after the widespread destruction caused by the Second World War.
An eerie and unforgettable site in Berlin is the Memorial of the Murdered Jews of Europe. The memorial centre is a calming and relevant place showing bits and pieces of victims lives and even displaying the testimonials of survivors. The memorial site is quite fitting in my opinion - so large and eerie, it cannot be ignored.
While numbers and facts can make a person desensitised to the abuse, at the museum in the old Gestapo and SS headquarters I came across a single photo that really moved me. When I visited Dachau there was a patch of grass separating the camp from the fence. I was told that this patch of grass was considered a lifeline to some prisoners. But not in the normal sense of the word. Escape and suicide was made impossible. However, if an inmate was to step onto the grass the guards were ordered to shoot them dead. Given no choices in their life, stepping onto the grass or even making it to the electric fence, enabled many victims to at least make their death their choice. A sad but appealing concept considering the horrors many of these victims faced. However, the photo I found was taken right after the Americans liberated the camp. It shows thousands of men standing on the grass waving and smiling up at an aerial camera. It seems as though this patch of grass became not only a lifeline, but a place of safety and relief.
Phew, Berlin - a crazy place but so interesting!
