Before we even got back from our Berlin trip I was planning the next one. It's a city I never get bored of. In fact the history of the city and all it's ghosts give me shudders (in a good way). This time we visited with some friends who had never been before so lots of museums and landmarks were the order of the day. Brandenberg Gate, Checkpoint Charlie and the Wall remains. We also stumbled across Bebelplatz, the site of the notorious Nazi book burnings. This was all absolutely fine by me. The history of the city, the Wall and the people divided is something I find absolutely fascinating. Being an 80's child I have some very hazy memories of the news reports of the fall of the wall and knowing in my childish mind that this must be something very important. It kind of blows my mind when I look back now and realise that this was something so significant and it happened in my lifetime.
A particular highlight for me was our visit to the DDR museum, a museum that exclusively documents what everyday life was like behind the iron curtain. The Trabants, the prefab high rises, the collective potty training. A time when there was relative prosperity but nothing to spend your marks on due to chronic supply shortages of almost everything. And of course the routine Stasi surveillance and harassment of it's "comrades". I was reminded of George Orwell's 1984 so many times during this visit it was actually quite unnerving. This was a very hand's on, interactive museum which would have been great for children too which we will definitely bear in mind for future visits when ours are older.
Otherwise, sans kids, we enjoyed some beautiful food, we drank some amazing artisan cocktails in Beckett's Kopf and Schwarze Traube two places I would heartily recommend you try out if you ever visit.
A particular highlight for me was our visit to the DDR museum, a museum that exclusively documents what everyday life was like behind the iron curtain. The Trabants, the prefab high rises, the collective potty training. A time when there was relative prosperity but nothing to spend your marks on due to chronic supply shortages of almost everything. And of course the routine Stasi surveillance and harassment of it's "comrades". I was reminded of George Orwell's 1984 so many times during this visit it was actually quite unnerving. This was a very hand's on, interactive museum which would have been great for children too which we will definitely bear in mind for future visits when ours are older.
Otherwise, sans kids, we enjoyed some beautiful food, we drank some amazing artisan cocktails in Beckett's Kopf and Schwarze Traube two places I would heartily recommend you try out if you ever visit.
I am literally bursting to go back. Next time, the Stasi Museum & Archive is definitely on the agenda and just lots of aimless wandering and exploring.
Farewell my lovely, I will be back as soon as I can.
Posts like this make me feel ashamed that I haven't visited Berlin yet xx
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