A Long Weekend In Berlin

October 12^th through the 14^th we made a return trip to Berlin. On Saturday evening before enjoying the Festival of Lights we spent a couple of hours at the Deutsche Technikmuseum or German Museum of Technology. The museum was founded in 1982 and exhibits a large collection of historical technical artifacts. The museums main emphasis is on rail transport, but it recently opened maritime and aviation exhibition halls.

Exploring the Deutsche Technikmuseum

Cargo boat from 1840 at the Deutsches Technikmuseum

Train on display at the Deutsche Technikmuseum

Standing in East and West Berlin

On Sunday we spent the day exploring the city using the Hop-on-Hop-off bus. We spent time at Checkpoint Charlie, the Berlin Wall, Berliner Dom, Holocaust Memorial, Brandenburg Gate, Postsdamer Platz, and the Sony Center. Ryan and I enjoyed seeing new sights from the Hop-on-Hop-off bus. From the bus we saw the Schloss Bellevue, which has been the offical residence of the President of Germany since 1994. Bellevue Palace was built in 1786 as a summer residence for Prince Augustus Ferdinand of Prussia. Charlottenburg Palace was another new sight for both Ryan and I. Charlottenburg Palace was built at the end of the 17^th century and was greatly expanded during the 18^thcentury.

Charlottenburg Palace

 Remaining section of the Berlin Wall

Fun on the Hop-on-Hop-off bus

Sunday evening we spent time pondering and exploring the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe. The architect Peter Eisenman designed the Holocaust Memorial. The memorial spans and area of 4.7 acres and is covered with 2,711 concrete slabs or stelae. The memorial was inaugurated in 2005. 

Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe

Exploring the Holocaust Memorial

AquaDom aquarium at the Radisson Blu

After our visit to the memorial we had to take in the impressive AquaDom fish tank at the Radisson Blu hotel. The AquaDom is the world’s largest cylindrical aquarium containing one million liters of seawater and standing at a height of 25 meters.  The aquarium is home to more than 1,500 tropical fish and over 50 different species. The AquaDom is made of acrylic, with a thickness of 16 centimeters on the top and 22 centimeters at the bottom.

Berliner Dom Cathedral

 Before leaving Berlin on Monday afternoon we spent the morning exploring the Berliner Dom and the DDR Museum. The Berliner Dom Cathedral is an Evangelical Church inaugurated in 1905. The building was badly damaged during WWII and reconstruction and renovation occurred from 1975 to 1884.   

The alter and stained glass windows in the Berliner Dom

 The Berlin Cathedral is one of Berlin’s main attractions. Sandstone pillars fitted with pilasters frame the octagonal space inside the cathedral. Crowning the pillars are figures of the four great reformers Luther, Melanchthon, Zwingli, and Calvin. Seven steps lead up to the magnificently decorated chancel. The stained glass of the three main windows depicts the Birth, Crucifixion, and Resurrection. At the time of its dedication in 1905, the organ was the largest in Germany, with its 7269 pipes and 113 registers, distributed across four manuals and pedals. 

The dome of the Berliner Dom Cathedral

The 70 meter high dome is flooded with light and represents the presence of the Holy Spirit. The dome mosaics portray the beatitudes from the Sermon on the Mount. Each of the famous dome mosaics is 39 square meters large and comprised of over 500,000 tiles in approximately 2000 different shades of color.

"Red City Hall"

 

We climbed the 270 steps and were rewarded with beautiful views of the city. From the top of the Dom we could see Museum Island, the golden dome of the synagogue, Gendarmenmarkt, the Reichstag, the Rotes Rathaus or “red city hall”, and the green dome of St. Hedwig’s Cathedral.

View of Berlin from the top of the Berliner Dom Cathedral

Exploring the DDR Museum

A visit to the entertaining DDR Museum was our last activity before leaving the city. The interactive museum is one of the most-visited attractions in the city.  Exhibits give an in-depth insight into the realities of everyday life in Socialist Germany.  Coming of age, going to school, full employment, queuing for food, Stasi surveillance, a Robotron computer, and a landmine from the German-German border are some of the exhibits and artifacts displayed within the museum. 

Posing by one of Berlin's Famous Bears

Photo Op with one of Berlin's famous crosswalk symbols