Impressions of Berlin

I am grateful that this was not our first visit to Berlin; otherwise, I think we would have been more overwhelmed. Berlin is a large, crazy, chaotic sort of city. After meeting the group at the airport, taking a bus to our hotel and settling in, and finally enjoying a long hike through the city, we had only a glimpse into the complicated city of Berlin.

The first afternoon we became familiar with public transportation, had an overview of several areas including Museum Island, and spent time at and around Checkpoint Charlie. Again, I was thankful we had already visited Checkpoint Charlie because it is overflowing with historical lessons and personal stories of heroic deeds. Rachel and I decided to focus on the Cold War section of the museum...to get a taste of how the wall that had caused so much division finally came down. There will definitely be more on this later in my journal:)

The next day, Kevin Kennedy was our city tour guide. Despite his very American name, Kevin is a German. He called himself a "Cultural Historian," which is a term I have never really heard before, but I think I think I study history from a cultural perspective, so I was really interested in what he had to say. Sadly, from my Biblical perspective, Kevin's cultural history lesson about Berlin was a very accurate reflection of much of Europe's culture.

He pointed out that Berlin has been "cool" for quite a while. Berlin's "coolness" came from it being a place where anyone can live whatever sort of life they want to live....bar breaking the law, I would assume. Berlin is home to people from all over the world and they have come to experiment with alternative lifestyles, alternative art, alternative music, food, business, research...you name it!

He showed us what seemed to be some sort of parking lot right across the street from our hotel. I had mentioned to Rachel that we needed to be aware outside of our hotel because it seemed that people lived in this lot. So, according to Kevin, I was partially correct. People had been living and

working in this lot for many years. It was basically a community of various artists who had built shacks in a lot directly under old Communists high rise apartment buildings in this area to delve into whatever their interests were......but, now, it was dying. Berlin seems to be losing its "cool factor" because, according to Kevin, when everyone finds out it is cool and starts coming then it is not really cool anymore:(

While driving around Berlin we heard things like:
1. "There are two straight guys in Berlin, me and the bus driver."
2. No one in Berlin goes to church anymore. All the churches are empty.
3. Germany is not a Socialist country, it is a democracy.

4. America did not bring Democracy to Germany.
5. Germany is not a one-way street to Auschwitz, there is so much more to us than that.
6. West Berlin was "re-liberated" under France, England, and America, but had to relinquish 2 provinces in East Berlin.
7. There is still resentment between "Easties" and "Westies." Easties resent Westies because they had everything they needed....and always do. Westies resent Easties resent Westies because they have been giving tons of money to "unify" Germany and they are resented anyway.

Things we saw while driving through Berlin:
1. pieces of the wall where pictures were painted
2. An old guard tower that was at the wall
3. Artists still painting in protest to something.
4. Beer Bikes
5. Reichstag Government Building
6. Ampelmann
7. Bears
8. Churches

One other important note....Fredrick the Great.....a tolerant ruler who had no faith, but was very tolerant of the faith of others. He allowed Jews into Berlin......He also allowed Protestants and Catholics into Berlin.....

I really wish I would have had my notebook while Kevin was talking....a recorder would have been even better. He was FULL of information and I think he knows his own culture extremely well.,