Monthly Archives: May 2011

Berlin – Picture of the Day – Landmarks on Manhole Cover

I’m always reminding myself to look up when I walk through a new city so I don’t miss the wonderful architectural details on period buildings — but here is a reminder to also look down for similar reasons!

I’ve ‘popped’ the colour a bit to add saturation so you can see the details. Here’s a shot of one of the manhole covers that are sprinkled throughout the historic district in Berlin.

Berlin sewer manhole cover

Berlin – The Eerie and Artistic Kunsthaus Tacheles

“What was this place? It has such presence that it had to have been something special — something significant. Do you know what it was in the past?” I looked up at Stefan as we walked through the arched opening and into an area that had flea-market type stalls set up. But my friend from Berlin didn’t know anything about it other than the current incarnation as a rather shabby-looking artists’ collective.

Banner on iron fencing advertising metal sculptures inside Kunsthaus Tacheles

Stalls beneath the arched entry of Kunsthaus Tacheles in Berlin

Looming overhead were statues atop tall columns, headless statues with workmanship that told of days long gone when the building and the arched entry had been something splendid.

Headless sculpture at Kunsthaus Tacheles in Berlin

My body was distinctly ill at ease as we walked through the adjacent shop that sold the paintings of several artists belonging to the collective. I internally acknowledged that sharpness as I examined various works of art.

Exterior of Kunsthaus Tacheles

The atmosphere was heavy with some sort of prickly energy and questions lingered in my brain for hours after we had returned to the car and driven away. So I went in search of information about the Kunsthaus Tacheles on Oranienburger Strasse and I was quite stunned with what I discovered.

The official Kunsthaus Tacheles website has an English-language entry with a bit of information about the history halfway down the page.

But a far darker set of revelations are detailed at the Wikipedia entry for Kunsthaus Tacheles.

From the early days as a department store, it had changed hands several times until it became a Nazi prison and SS Headquarters during World War II — and that lingering residue in the atmosphere would certainly account for the uncomfortable energy that I felt. The chaotic appearance of the entire structure would put off quite a lot of people and a shallow interpretation of the energy that I was feeling prior to doing this research might have people thinking that it was just the state of decay and general level of mess that made me uneasy. No — it was far more palpable and deep than that. And yes, I can understand from a public relations perspective why the ‘official’ website skims over the events of the Nazi occupation.

I was not allowed to take pictures inside due to the many signs stating that no photos were allowed. So I’ve had to limit the shots in this post to the ones that I could safely take in the arched entryway and the exterior views. I do understand the restrictions on photography since the one artists’ shopfront that we entered had some splendid paintings — and every artist, myself included, wants to protect their artistic or intellectual rights to their work.

There have been attempts to raze the structure to the ground for several decades and apparently the artists within feel that this danger still exists. They are handing out flyers inside asking people to please support their cause. The white mural below is painted on the left side of the building as a sign of protest.

"How long is now" banner at Kunsthaus Tacheles

Next to the white mural is the 3-D roach sign which translates (according to the German-to-English Google translate site — so please forgive me if it isn’t completely correct!) as “Before the wall, after the wall, sent the State the bugs.” I think we can all get the gist of that!

Roach as political statement on Kunsthaus Tacheles

An article in the British press in January 2011 titled “East Berlin fights back against the yuppy invaders” details this struggle. The real estate development potential of the site may hold more power with the Berlin government than the thought of losing another historic landmark.

The sensible little ‘serial house renovator’ in me thinks that obtaining a grant, based on the historic preservation aspects of the building, to at least spruce up the exterior of the building could perhaps sooth the fretfulness of those in the neighbourhood who think that the bomb-site appearance is no longer in keeping with the rest of the street. But then again, the artists who use that space might like the chaotic-creative-frenetic vibe and wish to keep it just as it is without ‘prettying it up.”

There is still a lingering question for me and it is one that my personal curiosity, and the world, may never have an answer to. Why was the sub-basement of that building flooded by the Nazis? What was down there that they didn’t want uncovered?

If the building does get torn down, I rather doubt that any property developer would allow that information about the contents of the flooded sub-basement to be released. But it will nag at me on occasion — it truly will.

Mysteries — mysteries. Perhaps after all of this time, it is best not to know.

Berlin – The Brandenburg Gate or Brandenburger Tor

It wasn’t even the official high-tourism season so we hoped for the best regarding overcrowding. The Brandenburg Gate — more correctly known to Berliners as the Brandenburger Tor, was high on our list of ‘must see’ places in Berlin.

I can now report that yes, it was beautiful — yes, it had historic significance in layer-upon-layer — and yes we ‘did it’ just as we endured standing in line for oh-so-long in Paris to see the Eiffel Tower. But be aware that there are always hoards of tourists standing in front of it getting their photos taken — just as I did with my grumpy little face below because the sun was in my eyes. Ah well!

It’s a massive set of sculptures atop that classical gate and the side view below give you a better perspective of the size.

Brandenburger Tor - Brandenburg Gate sideview

Four horses and iron cross atop Brandenburger Tor/Brandenburg Gate

Deborah at Brandenburger Tor with grumpy face from too much sun & wind

You can click on the link for Brandenburg Gate and read the history and see some of the photographs from various periods of time. But I have to admit, I was more impacted by the idea that it had been so integral in the recent history when the Berlin Wall was still in place than during the World War II era. The photos we have seen in various places around the city have made us realize what a shock it must have been to the people of Berlin to suddenly have whole sections of their beloved city cut off — including famous and familiar landmarks.

In spite of the crowds — some of whom were high school students on their end-of-term field trips — the area is quite lovely and even the lamp posts overhead have a strong design element. I hadn’t expected to see a Kennedy Museum right next to the Starbucks coffee shop in Pariser Platz, the actual name of the square in front of the gate. But it makes sense when you remember that Berlin was the site of U.S. President John F. Kennedy’s famous speech — “Ich bin ein Berliner” at the Rathaus Schöneberg — and that the Berliners regarded the Kennedy family fondly as a result of that visit.

Elegant lamp posts at the Pariser Platz

Kennedy Museum across from Brandenburg Gate/Brandenburger Tor

The quietest moment that we had was in a rather unexpected place — the previously mentioned Starbucks coffee shop on Pariser Platz. The coffee and muffin were very so-so, but the view was certainly rather special! And yes — I am rather glad that we took the time to go and see this historical site. It was, in the end, quite worth all of the crowds and all of the noise.

View of the Brandenburg Gate/Brandenburger Tor from Starbucks

***NOTE ADDED***
Unfortunately the original beauty of these images is now partially obscured by a watermark. I have been forced to do this after discovering that other websites were using my images without permission and without payment for the usage rights.

Berlin On A Sunny Sunday – Part Two

“Watch where you walk, Deborah!” I looked back at Mark after looking down immediately, expecting to be about to step into dog poo or some other such ickiness. Then I realized what he was referring to — the red-tinged separate lane — the bike lane which I was meant to avoid so I didn’t get mowed down by the cyclists pedaling through Berlin.

An occasional cloud punctuated the otherwise deeply blue sky and the parks were filled with people. But we walked for hours as I raised my voice slightly on occasion — “Stopping!” — to alert my husband Mark and our friend Stefan to the fact that I was stopping to take another photo.

The entire area around the museums is full of construction and excavation of one kind or another, so keep your wits about you as you walk. It isn’t just a wander into the bike lane that might ‘get you!’

And here are some of the pictures from that glorious day in Berlin. Enjoy!