Berlin stole my heart
Feb. 23rd, 2011 04:36 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
birdienlTwo weekends ago, I went for a weekend to Berlin with a bunch of girls from my choir. It was a wonderful trip, in which this city really stole my heart. So much to see, so much history everywhere. I wanted to give you a taste of what it was like, so here are some photographs (it was wonderful weather for photographs by the way, especially Saturday with the clear blue sky, so I'm really pleased with some of these)
Thé symbol of Berlin, the Brandenburger Tor at the Parizer Platz, build at the end of the 18th century. It was based upon the gateway to the Acropolis in Athens. It is the only gate still remaining of the 18 that were build.
The Reichstag, another iconic Berlin building. It houses the German parliament. The glass dome on top of the building was constructed in 1999. Originally, the building had a cupola, but this collapsed during WWII, when the building was severely damaged.
The Holocaust memorial, consisting of 2711 concrete blocks in a sloping field. On the sides the blocks are not higher than your knees, but when you walk inside the monument, the blocks tower above your head.
The famous sign at Checkpoint Charlie, which was the main crossing point between East and West Berlin during the wall-era (1962-1989)
In the chocolaterie Fassbender&Rausch, a wonderful place with an awfull lot of chocolate!
One of the beautiful mosaics in the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, build in the 1890s, but irreparably damaged in WWII. The spire and much of the entrance hall still stand and are open to visitors. A new church has been build next to the ruin.
The Siegessäule or Victory column, build to commemorate Prussian war victories in the 19th century.
The Soviet War memorial, commemorating the many Russian soldiers who died during the battle for Berlin in 1945. The memorial is build with material from the destroyed Reich Chancellery
One of the many museums at the Museum Insel, definitely one of the most beautiful sights in Berlin. Five musea in spectacular neo-classical buildings stand together on an island in the river Spree. I've not been inside the musea for lack of time, but even the buildings themselves are a sight worth seeing.
Statues in front of the Altes Museum (poor horse is being attacked by a lion!)
The Berliner Dom or Berlin cathedral (1905)
Dome of the Berliner Dom, not the original though, as this was destroyed by a bomb in 1944.
The pulpit of the Berliner Doom
Organ of the Berliner Dom, with it's 6954 pipes it was the largest organ in Germany when it was build in the early 20th century.
Tombs of King Friedrich Wilhelm I of Prussia and his wife Dorothea
Altar of the Berliner Dom
The Neue Synagoge (very hard to take pictures of, with all the annoying trees in front)
Inside of the Neue Synagoge. The synagogue was build in was build in 1859-1866 to house the growing population of Jews in Berlin. Before and during WWII the building was severely damaged and much was demolished during the DDR era. The ruined street frontage and a few rooms behind were reconstructed. As you can see in the picture, it was reconstructed in such a way as to show what parts have been saved from the ruins and what parts were added during reconstruction.
Marienkirche overshadowed by the Fernsehturm.
A meaningfull painting on East Side Gallery, the longest part of the Berlin Wall still left standing.
Another painting on the East Side Gallery
Hope you've enjoyed my little tour through Berlin. I can recommend everyone to visit the city themselves, it's a fascinating place!
Thé symbol of Berlin, the Brandenburger Tor at the Parizer Platz, build at the end of the 18th century. It was based upon the gateway to the Acropolis in Athens. It is the only gate still remaining of the 18 that were build.
The Reichstag, another iconic Berlin building. It houses the German parliament. The glass dome on top of the building was constructed in 1999. Originally, the building had a cupola, but this collapsed during WWII, when the building was severely damaged.
The Holocaust memorial, consisting of 2711 concrete blocks in a sloping field. On the sides the blocks are not higher than your knees, but when you walk inside the monument, the blocks tower above your head.
The famous sign at Checkpoint Charlie, which was the main crossing point between East and West Berlin during the wall-era (1962-1989)
In the chocolaterie Fassbender&Rausch, a wonderful place with an awfull lot of chocolate!
One of the beautiful mosaics in the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, build in the 1890s, but irreparably damaged in WWII. The spire and much of the entrance hall still stand and are open to visitors. A new church has been build next to the ruin.
The Siegessäule or Victory column, build to commemorate Prussian war victories in the 19th century.
The Soviet War memorial, commemorating the many Russian soldiers who died during the battle for Berlin in 1945. The memorial is build with material from the destroyed Reich Chancellery
One of the many museums at the Museum Insel, definitely one of the most beautiful sights in Berlin. Five musea in spectacular neo-classical buildings stand together on an island in the river Spree. I've not been inside the musea for lack of time, but even the buildings themselves are a sight worth seeing.
Statues in front of the Altes Museum (poor horse is being attacked by a lion!)
The Berliner Dom or Berlin cathedral (1905)
Dome of the Berliner Dom, not the original though, as this was destroyed by a bomb in 1944.
The pulpit of the Berliner Doom
Organ of the Berliner Dom, with it's 6954 pipes it was the largest organ in Germany when it was build in the early 20th century.
Tombs of King Friedrich Wilhelm I of Prussia and his wife Dorothea
Altar of the Berliner Dom
The Neue Synagoge (very hard to take pictures of, with all the annoying trees in front)
Inside of the Neue Synagoge. The synagogue was build in was build in 1859-1866 to house the growing population of Jews in Berlin. Before and during WWII the building was severely damaged and much was demolished during the DDR era. The ruined street frontage and a few rooms behind were reconstructed. As you can see in the picture, it was reconstructed in such a way as to show what parts have been saved from the ruins and what parts were added during reconstruction.
Marienkirche overshadowed by the Fernsehturm.
A meaningfull painting on East Side Gallery, the longest part of the Berlin Wall still left standing.
Another painting on the East Side Gallery
Hope you've enjoyed my little tour through Berlin. I can recommend everyone to visit the city themselves, it's a fascinating place!
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Date: 2011-02-25 07:12 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-02-26 04:39 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-02-26 08:27 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-02-26 08:31 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-02-27 09:26 pm (UTC)I went to Berlin several years ago with my youth group. We had just finished doing a camp in Magdeburg, and took two days to tour Berlin. I got to visit many of the places that you did! ^^
I would love to go back! This time with a camera! (I left mine at the airport before actually flying out T-T)
no subject
Date: 2011-03-01 11:18 am (UTC)You left your camera at the airport? That sucks! Did you get it back?
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Date: 2011-03-01 02:48 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-03-02 08:10 am (UTC)