Berlin’s most popular inner-city Park - the Tiergarten (German for “Animal Garden”) - began as a fenced-off hunting ground for the German monarchy. In 1530, five hundred twenty acres, located west of the Colln city wall ( sister city of old Berlin) were set aside for the hunting of deer and other wild animals. Friedrich Wilhelm’s City Palace was within the confines of the park - along with several other structures he had built in the park because he felt a “...need for a change” in its appearance. Included in these changes was the “Unter den Linden” ( “Under the Linden Trees”) boulevard connecting his castle with the newly constructed Charlottenburg Palace. This was the beginning of the transformation of the hunting grounds into a forested park for the people. In 1740, Friedrich II opened the park’s first public gardens. Two years later, he had the fences around the park torn down in order to allow more public access and had the grounds landscaped with flower beds and ponds. During this time, Huguenot refugees from France were allowed to erect tents in the park and to sell refreshments to passing pedestrians. By 1844, the beginnings of the Berlin Zoo were founded within the park. During this same period, the park was remodeled in the fashion of English Gardens. As Berlin began to expand, the Tiergarten began to shrink. In 1881, ownership of the grounds passed from the monarchy to the city of Berlin. The most famous additions to the Tiergarten - Victory Avenue (“Siegesallee”) and the Magnificence Boulevard (“Prachtboulevard”, later known as Konigsplatz) - we’re constructed in 1885. Among the features of the remodeled park are numerous statues commemorating those famous to the Prussians.
World War II saw significant damage done to the park, including the destruction of many of the park’s statues. Following the war, many trees were cut down for firewood because of the shortage of coal (only 700 trees out of 200,000 survived). Several of the empty fields were converted into farms under British occupation. The ponds became filled with silt and every bridge was destroyed.
In 1945, the Berlin Magistrate (regional court) decided to restore the park. This project began with the reforestation of 250,000 new trees between 1949 and 1959. The older, dilapidated embassies along the park’s borders were rebuilt, and a large traffic tunnel under the park was constructed for motor vehicles, trams, and trains.
During our time in Berlin, the border to the park, next to the Brandenburg Gate, was closed off so a large telethon screen could be erected for the Wirld Cup Siccer matches - a huge event throughout Europe. The crowds attending this screening in the park were tremendous.

The Tiergarten is Berlin’s most popular inner-City public park.

Constructed around 1864, the Tiergarten’s Victory Column commemorates the Prussian victory in the Danish-Prussian War and is one of the most recognizable attractions in the city.

Orginally, the park was established as a hunting ground for the German monarchy.

This is a beautiful green space within the city.

On the side of the park next to the Reichstag building is this memorial to the Roma and Sinti of Europe who died under the National Socialism progroms.

Look behind us in this photo of the Brandenburg Gate and you will see that this entrance into the Tiergarten is closed off with s giant telethon screen erected for the Wirld Cup Soccer matches...

The crowds attending this event were quite enthusiastic, many wearing the colors of the German national flag.

Located just one block from the Brandenburg Gate, the building known as the “Reichstag” was originally constructed to house the “Imperial Diet” (or Parliament) of the German Empire (1871 to 1918). Its name - “Reichstag” - itself, dates back to the Holy Roman Empire, but had not been used to refer to the members of parliament since World War II, but rather to just the building itself. “Bundestag” is now the term used for those politicians who represent the government.
Prior to 1871, parliament had been meeting in several buildings throughout Berlin, all considered too small. So, in 1872, an architectural competition was held to design a new building. The site chosen for the new parliament building originally housed the palace of a Polish-Prussian aristocrat. However, construction did not begin for ten years because of problems with the purchase of the land. The model for the winning design was reportedly based on Philadelphia’s Memorial Hall (the main building of the 1876 Centennial Exhibition).
The words “Dem Deutschen Volke” (“To the German People”) were inscribed on the building’s facade in 1916, much to the displeasure of Wilhelmi II because of its democratic symbolism. Following Wirld War I, and the end of the German monarchy, the building became the seat of the Weimar Republic until 1933, when a suspicious fire on February 27, destroyed a large portion of the building. With the rise of the Third Reich, the Nazi Party suspended most of the rights of the Weimar Constitution. As a result, parliament surrendered its power to Hitler and the building was used for propaganda purposes. During World War II, the Allies targeted the building, leaving it heavily damaged. Throughout the Cold War, the Reichstag was physically located within West Berlin, but only a few feet from the East Berlin border.
Between 1961 and 1964, the building was the scene for the official “Reunification of Germany” ceremony. Today, the building is the second most visited attraction in the country. Its iconic glass dome, the only part of the building open for public tours (at least when we were there), offers a 369 degree view of Berlin.

The Reichstag is the official seat of the government for Germany, while the Bundestag is the name used for parliament.

Archival image of the Reichstag as it appeared in 1900 (in the right-side foreground is the Victory Column, built to commemorate the Prussian victory during the Danish-Prussian war.

Targeted by Allied bombs during World War II, the Reichstag was heavily damaged ( as seen in this photo taken after Berlin was liberated).

Reichstag’s glass dome, designed by architect Norman Foster, was built to symbolize the reunification of Germany.

The mirrored cone in the middle of the dome directs sunlight into the meeting chamber below. Symbolically, the dome indicates that the people are above the government.

Standing around the mirrored cone, visitors can look down into the main meeting chamber.

Visitors walking around the apex of the dome get a 360 degree view of Berlin.

Originally located in the former Palace (1748 - 1766) for Prince Henry, Berlin’s Humboldt University (not to be confused with the university of the same name in California) was established on August 16, 1809, and opened in 1810, during the Prussian Reform Movement. King Friedrich William III officially commissioned the university under the inspiration of Wilhelm Von Humboldt’s notion of uniting research and teaching. This became the model for many other universities around the world (e.g. John Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland). Under its original name (i.e. the University of Berlin), Humboldt became the oldest of Berlin’s four universities. From 1828 through 1945, the university was known as Friedrich Wilhelm University. By 1829, the previous quarantine house built in 1717 for plague victims, became the university’s medical campus. By 1889, it’s natural history collections (begun in 1810) became so large, it evolved into a natural history museum.

During the time of the Third Reich, the university’s quadrangle became the site of the May 10, 1933 Book Burnings (20,000 volumes by “degenerates” and those critics of the Regime). Today, there is a monument to this evil in the center of the square in the form of a white underground room, covered by a glass panel, with space for twenty thousand books. Around the same time of the book burnings, two hundred fifty Jewish professors and employees were fired, along with the ejection and deportation of many students and political opponents.

Throughout the Cold War, the University was located within East Berlin, controlled by the Communists. Immediately, the Soviet occupiers began persecuting non-communists, while suppressing academic freedoms. This created strong protests in East Berlin. As a result, in March of 1947, the Secret Police arrested several students and staff, sending them to 25 years of hard labor. As a countermeasure, West Berlin established the “ Free University of Berlin.”

Since the historical name of the university (i.e. Friedrich Wilhelmina University) referred to Germany’s old monarchy, in 1949, the East Germans changed its name to “Humboldt University of Berlin”. Following reunification of Germany, the university was totally restructured, with all existing employees being terminated because of their membership in the Commuist Party having been politicized. Almost all of their positions were replaced from the ranks of the Free University of Berlin. As a result, this effectively created a new university.

Throughout the history of Humboldt University, many of Germany’s greatest thinkers passed through its corridors; e.g. philosopher Johann Gottlieb Feckler, physicists Albert Einstein and Max Plank, the founders of Marxist Thoery, Karl Marks and Friedrich Engles, and Otto Von Bismarck. Today, the school is a state university with 36,000 students ( of which, almost ten percent are foreign students).

Licated just a couple of blocks from Alexanderplatz in the center of the city, Humboldt University is the oldest university in Berlin.

Wilhelm Von Humboldt’s vision of uniting research with teaching led to a university model that was copied throughout the world.

This is a rather unusual looking study hall.

As in most universities, some classrooms are quite large.

Archival photo of the university’s Library.

Today, there is a monument, in the form of an underground white room with space for the volumns destroyed, on the spot in the quadrangle where the burning occurred.

Some of Germany’s greatest thinkers, such as Einstein, Marks and Engles, and Max Planck, walked the corridors of this university.

Originally a cattle market outside of the city fortifications, Alexanderplatz (affectionately known simply as “Alex” by locals) received its name in commemoration of a visit of Russian Emperor Alexander I (1805). This public square eventually became increasingly important after the Stadtbohn station (a large railroad transportation hub) and a nearby market center were constructed in the late 19th century.

Alexanderplatz’s heydays as the heart of Berlin’s nightlife were during the 1920’s. In 1960, the East German government redeveloped it into a pedestrian zone. Today, it is surrounded by the Berlin Television Tower (which we blogged about previously), the Press Club, the 180 store Alexa shopping mall, and the historic Red City Hall ( the seat of Berlin’s city government). Alexanderplatz is also one of Berlin’s largest and most important transportation hub ( with railway and tram stations located here). Fans of the Jason Bourne films will recognize the square being featured in the “Bourne Supremacy.”

Within the center of this public square is the famous World Time Clock ( also known as the Urania World Clock) - a turret-style clock, built in 1969, displaying time in 148 major cities of the world.

The large pedestrian zone Alexanderplatz was once outside the city fortifications and functioned as a cattle market.

Sketched in 1776 (the same year as America’s Independence), this is how the square appeared then.

By the time this photo was taken in 1908, several changes had already taken place in the square.

One of the top tourist attractions within the square is the World Time Clock.

1969 publicity photo commemorating the official opening of the World Time Clock.

Another popular attraction is the 1207.35 foot tall TV Tower.

The Stadtbohn Station is part of the major transportation hub serving the city.

Along one side of Alexanderplatz is the 180 store Alexa shopping mall...

...which contains the entertains “Magic Mirror” ...

...which allow shoppers to look like they are walking with exotic animals from Africa.

“Marienkirche” (St. Mary’s Church) is the oldest religious structure in Berlin. Located near Alexanderplatz in the center of the city, it is the seat of the Bishop for the Evangelical Church of Berlin-Brandenburg-Silesian Upper Lusatia.

While the exact age of the Church is unknown, it was first mentioned in German chronicles dated 1292, with an estimated construction date somewhere around 1250, as a Roman Catholic Church for the newly established town of Berlin. The foundation was constructed of fieldstone, while the body of the Church was made of red brick in the Brick Gothic style. It’s design was based on the churches of the Mendicant Order (poor itinerant friars). Late in the 14th century, St. Mary’s was damaged by fire and later rebuilt. Following the Protestant Reformation, the church’s affiliation became Lutheran.

During 1789, the building underwent a complete overhaul by the same master builder who created the Brandenburg Gate , Carl Gotthard Langhans. Twenty-six years later, the congregation joined the Prussian Union of Churches.

While performing restoration work in 1860, a 1454 mural known as the “Dance of Death” was discovered beneath some white washed walls. Measuring 72 feet long by six feet tall, this mural has become the centerpiece of the Church.

The building suffered significant damage during World War II. Following the war, this part of the city was East Berlin, so the East German government undertook restoring the Church. Located within the building is the tomb of Field Marshal Otto Christoph Von Sparr ( (1599 to 1688), an Imperial officer during the Thirty Years War. In 1719, Carl Hildebrand Freiherr Von Canstein, founder of the oldest bible society in the world - the Canstein Bible Institute was buried here.

Today, St.. Mary’s stands in open spaces around Alexanderplatz (the densely populated buildings previously situated around the church having been destroyed during WW II, and the ruins cleared by the East German government). Behind it is the massive television tower we posted about in a previous blog piece.

In the plaza towards the front of St. Mary’s is the outline of what was once (1786) the house of Moses Mendelssohn. A philosopher and important figure in the textile industry of Berlin, he was the grandfather of the famous German composer, Felix Mendelssohn.

St. Mary’s, the oldest church in Berlin, is located near Alexanderplatz in the center of the city.

Beginning its life as a Roman Catholic Church during the mid-13th century, it is now part of the Lutheran community.

While not as ostentatious of other religious structures that we’ve visited, it is still a beautiful structure.

It always amazed us that church organs were also decorated with fancy scrollwork.

A 72 foot long by 6 foot tall mural entitled “The Dance of Death” (1454), discovered in 1860 under some whitewash on the walls, has become the centerpiece of the church.

This recreated section of the mural shows the details of the drawing.

A 1936 photograph of another portion of the mural.

One of the side altar’s triptych displays the artistic talents of its creator.

Along the side of the church is this impressive statue of Martin Luther.

The plaza in front of St. Mary’s was once (1786) the site of the home of Moses Mendelssohn...

...the grandfather of German composer Felix Mendelssohn, Moses made his money in Berlin’s textile industry and his reputation as a philosopher.

On the edge of the Alexanderplatz in central Berlin, is the tallest structure in Germany and the second tallest tower in Europe; the “Fernsehturm” (television tower). Built between 1965 and 1969 by the GDR (German Democratic Republic) as a symbol of communist power, it serves several radio and television broadcast stations, and is visible throughout the city.

During the European Broadcast Conference, held in Stockholm, in 1952, the organization that coordinated frequency allocations throughout Europe, only issued two frequencies to the GDR because it had not been politically recognized by many members of the organization. This created tremendous difficulties for Berlin’s broadcasting efforts, as it needed a powerful, large broadcasting facility, at a sufficient height, in order to reach all corners of Berlin. As early as the time of the European Conference, the GDR’s Deutsche Post had been exploring where to put a television tower. By 1956, the original site it had picked out had to be abandoned because it was too close to Berlin’s Schonefeld Airport and would interfere with air traffic. During the succeeding years, various alternative sites were investigated, but no action was ever initiated on them because of the high cost of constructing the Berlin Wall at the same time.

In 1964, the German government “demanded” that a TV tower be built in a central location within Berlin, not only because it would offer the best broadcasting services, but also because it would provide a new publicity landmark for the communist led government. Thus, the choice of a location for the tower came down to a political decision.

Construction began in 1965, just on the edge of Alexanderplatz (next to St. Mary’s medieval church) following the demolition of a large portion of the historic center, and was completed by 1969. Eventually, the tower reached a height of 1,207 feet, making it the second tallest TV tower in the world (after the Ostankin tower in Moscow). With the fall of the GDR and the reunification of Germany, the new Federal Republic of Germany took control of the tower, leasing it out to private broadcasters.

Today, it is the tallest publically accessible landmark structure in Europe and sees, on average, 1.2 million visitors per year (because of safety issues in the event of an emergency evacuation, wheelchair visitors are prohibited from access to the upper portions of the tower). Due to its shape, locals have affectionately nicknamed it the “toothpick.”

Central Berlin’s Alexanderplatz is home to the “Fernsehturm” (TV Tower), the tallest public accessible landmark in Europe.

Near the top, the sphere houses a 360 degree observation deck and a rotating restaurant.

Construction photo taken during the installation of the sphere.

The 360 degree observation deck offers wonderful views of the city....

...and they are spectacular (that is the Berlin Cathedral in the foreground). We were told that on a clear day, you can see nearly 40 miles out.

Just a few steps ( 21 to be exact) above the observation deck is the “Sphere” restaurant which rotates 360 degrees every hour.

Officially known as the “Evangelical Supreme Parish and Collegiate Church,” the Berlin Cathedral is located on Museum Island in the center of the city. This is not a “Cathedral” in the usual sense of being a seat for a Bishop, but became known as such out of tradition.

It’s history began in 1454 as a Roman Catholic Church. Following a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, Frederick II “Irontooth” turned the chapel in the city palace into a parish church. He then filled it with altars and relics he had collected. Pope Paul II, in 1465, created a canon-law college within this former palace chapel. Traditionally, collegiate churches such as this one were known as cathedrals, so the colloquial German term “Cathedral” was applied to this structure. Joachim II Hector, in 1535, talked the pope into closing the Dominican Black Friar convent on the south side of the palace and then turned the property over to the collegiate church. Four years later, Joachim II converted from Catholicism to Lutheranism and did the same thing to the Church. By 1608, Prince-elector John Sigismund, who had become a Calvinist, dissolved the Lutheran Church and redesignated it the “Supreme Parish Church of the Holy Trinity in Colln” (during the 13th century, Colln had been the sister city of Berlin before becoming part of the larger city). This was the first Calvinist Church (and at the time, the only one) in Berlin. The Church was completely demolished in 1749 in order to make room for the baroque extension of the Berlin Palace. A new church building was completed three years later, north of the palace.

Under King Frederick William II of Prussia (in 1817) the congregation joined an organization known as the “Evangelical Church of Prussia” and adopted the new denomination known as the “Prussian Union” ( becoming the largest independent religious organization of the German Empire).

By 1893, the congregation began discussing the need for a new building. The old structure was again demolished and what was to become the present-day “Cathedral” was constructed. It was dedicated on February 27, 1905.

At 374 feet long, 240 feet wide, and 381 feet tall, this was larger than any other previous church. Some felt the church’s new size rivaled St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome (obviously a subjective thought). This new building did suffer significant damage during World War II, taking several years to be reconstructed to its original appearance. Still, this is a beautiful building.

Sitting on the front edge of Museum Island, the Berlin Cathedral can date its history back nearly 600 years (although not at this specific site).

What magnificent doors!

Stunningly beautiful, this main altar rivals those of any other churches throughout Europe we’ve visited.

This is as big an organ as we’ve seen anywhere else.

Looking up, we see the spectacular interior ceiling of the church’s dome.

Among the notables entombed here is Prince-Elector Friedrich Wilhelm (1620 - 1688)...

...and Kaiser Friedrich III (1831 - 1888).

Visitors can climb the interior of the cathedral’s dome to get wonderful views of the city...

...as well as close-ups of the cupolas...

...and some of the statuary.

“Holocaust” - a word that conjures up images of six million lives snuffed out by a group that felt theirs was the only race that mattered. Prior to World War II, Berlin had one of the largest Jewish populations in Europe. In 2005, Germany opened a memorial to the Jewish victims of World War II so that the horror they endured would not be forgotten. It is located just one block south of the Brandenburg Gate, on a portion of the old Berlin Wall, where its “death strip” at one time divided this city.

Discussions about establishing a memorial began in the 1980’s, led by television journalist, Lea Rosh, and historian, Eberhard Jackel (neither of whom were Jewish). By the end of that decade, a group had been established to support construction of, and collect donations for, the memorial. In 1999, the German Federal Parliament passed a resolution supporting the project. Construction of the memorial began in 2003 and was completed by mid-December of 2004. Covering 4.7 acres, the memorial consists of 2711 concrete stellae in a grid pattern on a sloping field. Underneath these stellae, is an information center that includes a timeline of the history of the “Final Solution” along with rooms dedicated to personal recollections of those who survived (as well as letters thrown from the trains by those who did not). There is also a list of three million names of Jewish martyrs obtained from archives held in Israel.

While not located on the Memorial site, but still considered as part of this rememberance, are a series of “stolpersteins” (i.e. “tripping stones”) - 4” square brass plates, inscribed with the names and life dates of Jewish victims, imbedded in the sidewalks outside of their last known residence - or, sometimes, work -prior to having been deported to concentration camps.

While we are not Jewish, we can still appreciate the importance of these memorials, “Lest, we never forget“

One block south of the Brandenburg Gate is the Holocaust Memorial.

Consisting of over 2000 concrete blocks in a grid pattern, this 4.7 acre Memorial sits on a site that had contained a part of the Berlin Wall.

There are innumerable interpretations as to the symbolism of the site (e.g. “a sense of order”, or “of loneliness and despair”, even resembling coffins of the victims, etc.). You will have to make up your own mind.

On the east side of the Memorial site is the entrance to the underground Information Center...

...which includes rooms full of personal remembrances of those who survived, along with some letters tossed from trains from those who did not.

One of the more poignant exhibits is this room containing the names of three million victims of the Holocaust.

We found a number of these brass plaques (known as “Tripping Stones”) imbedded in the sidewalks throughout Berlin. While not part of the Holocaust Memorial site itself, they are considered part of the remembrance project as they are dedicated to those victims taken from the specific locations of the plaques and deported to the concentration camps.

From the information obtained on these specific plaques, we learned that four of the people named were deported to a concentration camp (Theresienstadt) in the Czech Republic before being sent to the Auschwitz extermination camp. The fifth person, Esther, flew to Holland in 1938, but was then interned at the Westerbork concentration camp in northeastern Netherlands,prior to being sent to the Sobibor extermination camp in Poland.

Note: Concentration camps were primarily work camps in which prisoners performed hard labor (usually until they died of exhaustion). While there, they were sorted by groups (e.g. skilled laborers, criminals, Jews, Gypsies, mentally deficient, etc), many of whom were then sent on to extermination camps.

One of the best known landmarks in Germany, and one which we knew we had to visit, the Brandenburg Gate was built on the site of a former city gate at the start of the road between Berlin and Brandenburg.

Following the Thirty Years War (1618 to 1648), Berlin was just a small walled city with a star-shaped fort. However, the Gate (built between 1788 and 1791) was not part of this old Berlin fortress. Rather, it was one of eighteen gates in the “Customs Wall”, used to levy taxes on imports and exports. Commissioned by Frederick William II of Prussia, the Brandenburg Gate replaced an older single guardhouse. Consisting of twelve Doric columns (six on each side), it created five passageways. Only the Royal Family could use the center archway, while citizens were allowed to use the two outermost passages on either side. Atop the gate was erected a “Quadriga” - a chariot drawn by four horses and driven by the goddess Victoria (goddess of victory).

Napoleon was the first to use the gate for a triumphant procession in 1806, following his defeat of the Prussians. When the Nazis rose to power, they used the gate as a symbol of their party. Although damaged by bullets and nearby explosions, the gate survived World War II. Vehicles and pedestrians could easily pass through the gate until the Berlin Wall was erected in 1961. After the “Revolution of 1989” and the dismantling of the Berlin Wall, the Gate became a symbol of freedom and “...a desire to unify the city.”

Privately refurbished in 2000 for the twelfth anniversary of reunification of Berlin, the Gate is now closed to vehicle passage, as the area of the “Pariser Platz” (the square in front of the Gate) is now a pedestrian zone. Interestingly (at least to us), today, the Gate is straddled by the U.S. Embassy on one side and the French Embassy on the opposite side.

Once part of the old “Customs Wall” at the start of the road between Berlin and Brandenburg, the Brandenburg Gate today is one of the most recognizable symbols for the city of Berlin. Once the Gate had been completed in 1791, only members of the Royal Family could use the center archway. All others used the side passageways.

Designed by Johann Gottfried Schadow in 1793, the “Quadriga” (a four-horse drawn chariot driven by Victoria (goddess of Victory) on top of the Brandenburg Gate, was stolen by Napoleon in 1806 and taken to Paris. It was returned to Berlin eight years later.

Archival photo showing damage done to the area around the Gate during World War II. While receiving some damage itself, The Gate survived the War.

Now closed to vehicular traffic, the Pariser Platz in front of the Gate is designated as a pedestrian zone.

Publicity photo (taken from atop the French Embassy) showing the American Embassy across the way.

Straddling the Brandenburg Gate, opposite the American Embassy, is the French Embassy.

”Wir Sind Berliner” (“We are Berliners”) - at least for the day. Notice the white fencing across the front of the Gate. The passageways were closed off temporarily because there was a huge telethon screen on the far side to show the World Cup soccer matches going on at the time (soccer is huge in Europe).

September 11, 2001; a date when the most horrific event to occur on mainland United States soil happened - the terrorists attacks on America; first the World Trade Center, then the Pentatgon, with plans for the U.S. Capitol ( which were foiled by the passengers of United flight 93). In addition to the civilians who perished on that day, this was the deadliest incident for firefighters and law enforcement in the history of the U.S..
The original World Trade Center (WTC) was a complex of seven buildings in lower Manhattan with its main feature being the Twin Towers, containing over 13 million square feet of office space, and , at the time construction was completed, considered the tallest buildings in the world.
The western portion of the WTC site had originally been under the Hudson River. In 1613, Dutch explorer Adraen Block and his crew were stranded on Manhattan Island when their ship burned to the waterline and they were forced to spend the winter. Their reports about the area encouraged further exploration and settlement. Remnants of Block’s ship were discovered when a project to expand the shoreline with landfill was commissioned in 1916. From 1921 until 1966, this landfill area became known as “Radio Row” when Harry Schneck opened his “City Radio” store, followed by numerous electronic establishments that encompassed several blocks.
The first idea of establishing a World Trade Center was proposed in 1943 when the New York Legislature passed a bill authorizing the development of such a plan. However, this plan was put on hold until after World War II. In 1949, David Rockefeller supported reinstating the project. The designs for the project were unveiled on January 8, 1964, and Radio Row was acquired by eminent Domain. Demolishment of the old buildings began in 1965. The architectural plans called for a “tube form” design ( i.e. no internal support columns, only along the outer walls, allowing for a more open floor plan). Construction of the North Tower began in August of 1968 and of the South Tower in January of 1969. The first tenants moved into the North Tower during mid-December of 1970, while the South Tower happened in January of 1972.
On an average day, fifty thousand people worked within the Twin Towers, while an additional twenty thousand passed through the buildings as visitors. This complex is so large that the United States Postal Service assigned the WTC its own zip code (10048).
Because of its popularity, the World Trade Center appeared in numerous movies and television programs. However, this popularity as a symbol of capitalism also attracted attention of those intent on hurting America. On February 23, 1993, the first terrorist attack on the buildings occurred when a truck filled with 1500 pounds of explosives was detonated in the underground parking garage, damaging five floors of the garage.
Then, September 11, 2001 happened!

Publicity photo of the World Trade Center’s Twin Towers with the Statue of Liberty in the foreground .

Once the lower Manhattan shoreline had been expanded by landfill, the area that was later to become the World Trade Center site was known as “Radio Row”.

After Radio Row had been acquired by eminent domain construction of the World Tade Center complex could begin (aerial archival photo by AFP of the construction of the Twin Towers).

Soon, images of the WTC Twin Towers became so popular, they were featured in many movies and television shows...

...but its image as a symbol of American capitalism also made it a target for those who wanted to hurt the United States (image of the moment the South Tower was hit taken from television coverage of the event).

Following the 9/11 attacks, no image televised, better exemplified the resilience and resolve of New Yorkers and the nation than that of the firefighters raising the flag over the ruins.

Plans were immediately initiated to rebuild the complex (the new One World Trade Center Tower on the right of this picture with the WTC Transportation Hub on the left).

These plans also included a memorial that incorporated the footprints of each of the Twin Towers...

...and a museum dedicated to keeping memories of that event alive.

The main hall displays the last standing steel beam along with the original “slurry wall” (on the left) that was built to keep out the waters of the Hudson River.

Also on display are the “survivor steps” on which some people were actually able to use to escape prior to the collapse of the Towers.

With the collapse of the buildings, much of the first responding equipment was destroyed.

University of Minnesota art professor Tom Lane created this 9/11 Memorial Urn which includes the names of the 2977 victims who died that day.

Located on the lower level of the Memorial Museum, this quote from the Roman poet Virgil seems apropos.

Visiting this memorial was very important to us, as it is part of our personal history.

For centuries, the Berlin Palace served as the primary residence for the Electors of Brandenburg ( members of the electoral college that elected the Holy Roman Emperor), Kings of Prussia, and Emperors of Germany. The original palace does not exist anymore because it was destroyed in the 1950’s by the German Democratic Republic (but wait, there is hope, as you will see later in the blog).

Originally built during the 15th century, on what was known as Festin’s Island in the center of the city, to replace an earlier fort that was guarding the Spee River, its presence was designed to establish the authority of the “Margraves” (medieval Holy Roman Empire title for a military commander) over the “...unruly citizens of Berlin.” Frederick II laid the foundation stone for the new palace in 1443. Construction was” finalized” (as we’ve seen at other such structures, completion was only a limited term, as there were always expansions and renovations happening) eight years later. Following a 1454 pilgrimage to Jerusalem, Frederick II turned the palace’s chapel into a parish church. With plans to build a newer, grander palace, Joachim II demolished the old palace in 1538. Renovations continued under subsequent rulers - except for an interruption during the reign of Frederick William I, who apparently was more interested in developing Prussia as a military power than in building palaces. The place became a center piece during the “Revolution of 1848” when Berliners protested in front of it to demand a constitution. Frederick William originally accepted their demands, only to ignore them afterwards.

By 1871, William I had become Emperor of Germany and made the palace his center of the Empire. With Germany’s defeat in World War I, the monarchy was abolished and the German Socialist Republic (better known as the Weimar Republic) was born. This Republic turned part of the palace into a museum while keeping the rest to serve State functions. Economic instability eventually led to the downfall of the Republic and the rise of Hitler’s National Socialist Workers’ Party (the Nazis). During Hitler’s time as head of the government, the palace was pretty much neglected. Allied bombings of Berlin during World War II damaged much of the building. Following the war, the area of the palace fell under the control of the Soviet Union’s supported German Democratic Republic. Seeing the palace as a symbol of Prussian militarism, the new Socialist Government had the building demolished.

This is not the end of the story of the palace, however. Following reunification of Germany, plans were developed to rebuild the palace as a “..multipurpose people’s center.” Debates as to whether or not the place should be built began in 1993, with those in favor of the project winning out. Construction of the new facility began in 2013 and is expected to be completed by 2019.

Note: Because the original palace no longer exists, we had to rely on archival photos and paintings of what it looked like. In that same vein, there was no physical palace that we could visit, only a small museum in front of the construction site with artifacts salvaged from the old Stadtschloss. Present day architects are also using some of the same depictions offered here,for their recreation of the palace.

A 19th century painting of how the Berlin Palace looked.

Taken in 1904, this aerial view shows the immensity of the Berlin Palace (“Stadtschloss”).

The Palace as it appeared in 1920.

One of the reception hallways running through the Stadtschloss.

Known as the “Knights’ Room”, this is typical of the grandeur of the European palaces.They are amazing. We would imagine that trying to replicate this grandeur today would be prohibitively expensive.

This other room in the palace was known as the “Amber Room.”

Of course, no self-respecting palace could be built without a throne.

Today’s reconstruction of the palace, expected to be completed by 2019, only recreates the exterior facade, The interior rooms will be more modern.

A small museum in front of the construction site contains this model of the Stadtschloss in relation to its surroundings...

...as well as statuary and other small pieces salvaged from the demolished old palace. These will all be moved into the “new” place once it is completed.

One of the salvaged pieces is this sculpture...

...that hung over an entrance doorway of the palace (see the red square in the center of this photo).

We were amazed at the intricacies of some of the sculpturing .

Even the tops of some of the Corinthian columns were adorned with intricate creations.

Sitting in the northeast section of Germany, at the junction of the Spree and Havel rivers, Berlin is the capital and largest city in the country, as well as the third largest municipality in the world.

Centuries ago, this region formed the eastern border of the “Frankish Realm” ( i.e. the Kingdom of the Franks). While most of this kingdom was inhabited by Frank and Saxon tribes, east of the border were Slavic tribes; thus, some of the border settlements’ names were influenced by the Slavic language (e.g. with Slavic suffixes of -ow, -it’s, -witz, etc.) Even the name “Berlin” has its roots in the Slavic language - the “Ber” at the beginning sounds like “bar”, the German word for “bear, and a bear is part of the city’s coat of arms. Excavations in central Berlin have revealed the earliest evidence of settlements in the region, with a wooden beam dating to circa 1192, and the remnants of a home foundation dating circa 1194. The first written records pertaining to a formal settlement here date from 1197. Tradition states that the city was founded in 1237. By the beginning of the 1400’s, Frederick I was ruling the “Margravite of Brandenburg” (a major principality of the Holy Roman Empire) until 1440.

During the “Thirty Years War” (1618 to 1648), Berlin was on the brink of disaster; one third of its buildings were either damaged or destroyed and almost one-half of its population lost. In an effort to rebuild the population, the 1685 “Edict of Potsdam” offered assylum to French Hugenotes trying to escape religious persecution, resulting in 30% of Berlin’s population being French by 1700. The following year, the Kingdom of Prussia was formed and Berlin became its capital. During the rule of Frederick the Great (1740 to 1786), Berlin became the “Center of Enlightenment” with the enhanced studies of philosophy and reason.

Napoleon Bonaparte defeated the “Fourth Coalition” ( Prussia, Russia, Saxony, Sweden, and Great Britain), in 1807 as part of his quest to create an empire, but in the process, granted Berlin self-governing rights.

The 19th century’s Industrial Revolution greatly altered Berlin; expanding its population and economy. With the end of World War I, the German Republic (also known as the Weimar Republic) was created but political unrest over the instability of the economy led to its eventual downfall. 1933 saw the rise of Adolph Hitler’s National Socialist German Working Party (the Nazis) and all that entailed. Following the end of World War II, Berlin (which was deeply within Soviet controlled East Germany) was divided into four sectors, with the U.S., UK, and French sectors forming West Berlin, while the Soviet Sector formed East Berlin. Disagreements over currency reforms in 1948 led to the Soviet Union’s blockading land access routes to the western sectors, resulting in the famous “Berlin Airlift.”

With the fall of the Soviet Union and the demolition of the Berlin Wall, German reunification was finally able to be achieved formally on October 3, 1990.

Since we had not yet visited any part of Germany during our travels, we decided to make Berlin our first stop in this part of Europe.

Officially known as the “Rotes Rathaus”, or City Hall, Berlin’s seat of local government is also known as the “Red Town Hall” because of the bricks’s coloring. This is an archival photo of the building as it is currently shrouded by scaffolding as part of a renovation project that includes construction of a new underground train stop.

A stone’s throw away from city hall is Alexanderplatz, a large public square and transportation hub. Originally created as a cattle market, Alexanderplatz is now a tourist gathering spot. The major features here are the World Clock in the foreground and the 1100 foot tall “Fernsehtrum” or TV Tower in the background. Some may recognize this Square from its being featured in the Hollywood film “The Bourne Supremacy.”

Officially known as “The Evangelical Supreme Parish and Collegiate Church”, locals know this edifice as the “Berlin Cathedral.”

Since Berlin is the capital of Germany, it is only fitting that it also serves as the host for the German government. The “Reichstag” building (opened in 1894) serves as the main offices for the government. The glass dome is the only part regularly open for tourist visits.

One of the most recognizable features of the city is the Brandenburg Gate. While we were there, direct access was closed off by the white fencing in the background because of a huge television screen that was erected on the far side for viewing the World Cup soccer matches. Interestingly, The United States Embassy is just to the left of this picture, abutting the Gate.

During the height of the Cold War, Checkpoint Charlie was the only “official” crossing point between West and East Berlin. Today, as a tourist attraction, the checkpoint is “manned” by actors and not real military personnel.

A large - guarded - concrete barrier, known as the Berlin Wall, divided the city, both physically and ideologically, from 1961 until 1989. Remnants of the wall can be found throughout the city, including this main memorial area just a couple of blocks from Checkpoint Charlie.

So that the horrors of Hitler’s ideology are never forgotten, this 4.7 acre Holocaust Memorial was erected in 2004 near the heart of the city.