Ich bin ein Berliner

Brandenburg Gate

 "All free men, wherever they may live, are citizens of Berlin, and, therefore, as a free man, I take pride in the words "Ich bin ein Berliner" -  that is what President John F. Kennedy said in this city way, way back in 1963.  And yet that wall separating Berlin into a Communist side (East Berlin) and Democratic side (West Berlin) continued to stand until 1989! 

Checkpoint Charlie

And now here we are 33 years later after the wall came down once again worrying about democracy.  And so I say - as JFK said, if you think communism is not so bad - then you should come to Berlin.  Because here in this city there are stark reminders of the pain and suffering endured by many not only due to WWII but also the Cold War that followed on its heels.

Checkpoint Charlie Museum - demonstration of escape strategies

 

There was a reason folks contorted themselves into almost impossible positions to fit into "modified" amplifiers in hopes that they could be successfully smuggled out of East Berlin.  The lengths that folks went to from homemade planes to homemade hot air balloons serve as a testament to their utter despair.  Risk be damned, so many were just determined to escape or die trying.  And many, many did die trying.  All because they wanted "freedom".  Unwilling to live a life under de-humanizing Communist rule, for many no life was preferable to that life.  For those who worry about the current state of affairs in the US and other countries it is worth remembering and mulling over.

East Side Gallery - Berlin Wall

 Many people we talked with felt that Berlin was now just like any other modern city - breaking with its past, it was rebuilt for more modern times.  Unlike Munich that seemed to want to put all the pieces back together the way they were prior to WWII.  But for us WWII seemed to resonate loudly in Berlin.  I am sure if you lived there you would get used to the leftovers from the war and maybe not see them like a visitor would.  However, we could not help thinking how unsettling it would be to see that constant, ever present reminder.  Depressing, really.

Berlin Cathedral

 Nonetheless, Berlin is a great city and well worth a visit or two or three.  We actually will fly back to Berlin when we return to Europe in February.  So... we may get to spend a few more days there before heading to Montenegro.  There is still so much more to discover there!