What's Left of the Berlin Wall

Day One of the RIAS tour featured a bus trip around Berlin. You need transportation to discover the remains of the Berlin wall, which used to cut a jagged path through the heart of the city. There is a marker in the pavement where the wall once stood and there are small pieces of it displayed here and there. But the major remaining section is the East Gallery, where the murals have had to be repainted because they were fading.
Here's a look at one of the more famous panels: the famous kiss between Brezhnev and Kissinger during the Cold War. The smooch between the Soviet leader and the American Secretary of State actually happened!
Other panels make random comments on the state of world politics and the breakdown of the wall. Nearby is the Spree River, which formed part of the Berlin barrier and was patrolled by boats to keep people from swimming across the line. It is becoming more difficult for visitors to get a feeling for what the Berlin Wall was really like. Actually it was TWO walls with a no-man's land in between. An escaping teenager once bled to death in the middle because he was shot and both sides were afraid to go pick him up.

Culture and Confrontation

Berlin was a divided city after World War II but in 1961 the building of the Berlin Wall came to symbolize the Cold War. The famous Checkpoint Charlie is just a few blocks from my hotel. Along with its nearby museum, the site is a window into the past history of daring escapes and heartbreaking attempts that failed. What remains of the actual checkpoint is a sanitized replica where street performers pose for photos with tourists hoping to feel what is was like to pass between East and West Berlin.
I had a free day before the official start of the RIAS program, so I went in search of a free ballet performance that was advertised on a German language brochure in the hotel. Although the brochure appeared to be for the state opera house in East Berlin, I found it closed for renovations and was directed to the other opera house in West Berlin, also closed. Turns out the ballet was in a third location that was too far away. But I ended up at the ruined Kaiser Wilhelm memorial church in West Berlin. Destroyed by a WWII bombing raid, its ruined tower stands as a monument to the futility of war. It draws various kinds of protestors, including this demonstration in support of Israel. Around the corner was a much smaller alternative demonstration in support of Palestinian relief efforts.
On a lighter note, Berlin's official symbol is the bear and statues like this one are all over the city, sporting creative decorations. This one shows the chariot statue on top of the Brandenburg Gate.

Back to Berlin

I'm back in Berlin, nine years after I first visited the city as a RIAS/RTDNF fellow. The program promotes understanding between German and American journalists. My previous visit in June 2001 was before 9/11 and before Europe unified its currency with the Euro. It's going to be interesting to learn about the changes and prospects for the future. But first... sightseeing!
My first visit was only a decade after the fall of the Berlin wall. The Brandenburg Gate was under renovation at the time, so this was my first chance to actually see it. This, of course, is where Berliners celebrated the fall of the wall, which passed right in front of this landmark, dividing East and West. Now, the Pariser Platz on the former East German side draws a diverse collection of odd characters on a sunny Sunday afternoon. Street performers dressed as Allied troops or the Berlin bear try to earn money by posing with tourists. A peace group held a vigil. There is still a lot of construction going on, but not the frenzy of rebuilding that I noticed the last time. Although there is still a visible difference between East and West Berlin, the Germans have done a pretty good job of cosmetically erasing the line. As I'm about to learn on this trip, however, reunification still presents many challenges.