Berlin: October 9, 2015

I can't believe I haven't been able to write on the blog for a bit. October was definitely a busy month. I have only worked 10/31 days this month and I am not complaining :)  It definitely feels nice to finally be at home this week, though I've had military trainings these past three days, which have been exhausting. Can't wait to sleep and relax this upcoming weekend and also update the blog.

Berlin: October 9-12th

So I decided to go to Berlin during this 4-day weekend because Berlin was hosting its annual Festival of Lights. I remember seeing  pictures of trippy light shows on historical landmarks years ago and it was something I wanted to see for myself. A couple of us set out late Friday morning and we arrived  around 2 pm.

Berlin is Germany's capital and one of the most well known cities around the world. It captivates many history buffs around the globe and it is the home of the Berlin wall,  Checkpoint charlie, prestigious Humboldt University that housed 29 noble prized winners- among the pupils were Albert Einstein and Karl Marx, and of course the famous currywurst. 

Berlin is a large city and is split into many neighborhoods, but most people think about the West and the East when they think about Berlin. 

In 1933, Hitler and the Nazi Party came to power and destroyed Berlin's Jewish community and large sections of Berlin were destroyed in 1943-1945 during WWII. Soon after, Berlin was divided into four zones: West Berlin formed by the western Allies (U.S., United Kingdom, and France) and East Berlin formed by the Soviet sector.

In the summer of 1945, the powers met in Potsdam to discuss the future of Germany and conflicts between the Western and Eastern allies quickly ensued. The Western allies wanted to help rebuild Germany and kick start the devastated economy, while the Soviets insisted on huge reparations and began to exploit their own sector. Thousands of men and POWs ended up in labour camps in the soviet union. This feud escalated in June 1948, when the Western allies introduced their own currency without consulting with the soviets and this led to an economic blockade of West Berlin, but the Western allies stopped this. Soonafter, in 1949 the division of Germany was formalized. Although there was a division, people who lived in the West could still work in the East and those from the East could visit friends in the West. 

Because the government in the East was becoming more oppressive, refugees began to trickle into the West side. To keep the young and well-educated within the East, one night on August 13, 1961 while everyone was asleep, construction of the Berlin Wall began. To everyone's surprise as they woke up that morning, there were barbed wire fences dividing the West and East that were heavily guarded and mined. This led to an uproar and a face-off between leaders and armys at one of the most famous crossing points between West and East Berlin, known as Checkpoint Charlie. 

The actual turning point occurred in September 1989, when East Germans started immigrating to the West after Hungary opened its border with Austria. Since East Germany was losing thousands of people a day, human rights activists, church leaders, and opposition groups gathered at Alexanderplatz demanding political reform. The replacement of leadership caused a televised press conference when a spokesperson of Soviet political party lifted the restrictions to travel to the West. Thousands of people rushed through the borders and celebrated as the two parts of Berlin came together. Freedom at last.

A weekend was definitely not enough to explore all of Berlin. We walked all around the city during the day seeing many amazing sites: Brandenburg torr, museum island, Reichstag, Checkpoint Charlie, remnants of the Berlin wall, and of course eating a variety of amazing food. The Currywurst was amazing and if you are ever in Berlin you have to get one.  

We also visited the Jewish Museum, which showed the history of the religion and culture and also all of the events and stories that occurred during the Holocaust. The layout of the museum was very modern and contemporary and incorporated its messages and history in their architecture and sculptures . 

Symbolizes the suffering many Jews were enduring during the events of the Holocaust.

After walking for miles all day, we embarked on a 4 hour night bike tour looking at all of the sites that were illuminated during the light show. There were thousands of people and at times it was tough to ride your bike in the crowds. Our tour guide was awesome and so nice that he let me borrow his gloves and scarf because I wasn't prepared for the weather drop to 30 degrees in the evening. I wasn't even wearing socks!! What was I thinking :(

The last day before we headed home we went to see the East Side Gallery where there are portions on the Berlin wall still standing with different murals. Berlin is a beautiful, artistic city and everywhere you go there is a piece of work to interpret.  Cannot wait to go back and visit other sites I could not fit in this weekend!!