Also known as the world's longest blog post...
This extralong blog entry marks my return to blogging with a vengeance. I have a lot of stored up entries, some of which I've already forgotten, so prepare for the storm. My wife and I just returned from
First, a few general observations and recommendations:
2. Stay at the Circus Hostel (http://www.circus-berlin.de). Fantastic price, very nice accommodations, and a great location. They also have a nice 5 Euro breakfast. Make sure you book well in advance if you want a private room with a bathroom en suite…there are relatively few of these. Across the street is a nice Mexican restaurant, and about a 15 minute walk down Rosenthaler Strasse to Dircksenstrasse is a nice Thai/Sushi place called Mao Thai. About 5 minutes or so in a different direction in La Cucina, a cozy Italian restaurant/pizzeria on Schonhauser Allee.
3. I saw very few overweight Germans and no obese Germans. I found this to stand in stark contrast to the
4. Most places have physical manifestations of heritage (old buildings, statues, etc). What is remarkable about
5. Public transportation, as in most major European cities, is excellent. However, I found that if you are of reasonably descent health and have the time, much of the city can be reached by walking. Of the 10 days I was there, I only used public transportation on the days my wife was with me on my sightseeing.
6. Finally, I realize this is long and rather boring, so I have put in bold print the observations I think I particularly significant.
I now begin my review! With respect to the photography analysis, I’m sure that a better photographer—which would be almost everyone with a camera—would differ with my perspective. Just so you’re warned. I shot everything on a Canon 30D with a 17-40 L lens. I am not saying this is the optimal camera setup, only that the 17-40 is the only lens I have until my imaginary anonymous benefactor comes through. As a product of my particular setup, my photography emphasis is on buildings and landscapes rather than people. If you have a short telephoto lens, there are plenty of very interesting people to photograph here.
I’ve sorted my commentary by regions as described in DK Eyewitness Travel:
North of the Centre: This is where I started my explorations. The Circus Hostel is located in this part of the city. Located in what used to be
Neue Synagoge: Partially rebuilt ornate Jewish synagogue. First the Nazi’s did a number on it, then allied bombs in WWII. Only the front towers were rebuilt. The site now serves as museaum of Jewish life in
Photography: Not much. The front of the building is nice, but difficult to shoot because of intervening trees and power lines for street trolleys. No photography indoors.
Poli Sci: Fascinating to look at how the Jewish citizenry sought to reassert their civil and political rights against a German government clearly hell-bent on taking them away. It strikes me that minority groups are a political ‘canary in the coal mine.’ How they are treated is a powerful indicator of the future political direction of the state.

Gedenkstätte Grosse Hamburger Strasse: A nice little memorial to the murdered Jews of Germany. Unfortunately, when I was in
Photography: Modest prospects, but I wasn’t able to get close, so photographing it remains an exercise in the hypothetical for me.
Poli Sci: The number of monuments to Jews is striking. The German willingness to confront and be honest about the past is refreshing. More on this when I discuss the German National History museum.
Sophienkirche: A small protestant church north of city center. Under renovation when I was there. Quiet spot.
Photography: Not much. Nothing remarkable architecturally or symbolically.
Poli Sci: N/A
Dorotheenstädtischer Friedhof: A nice cemetery with some very impressive graves both in terms of notoriety and physicality. Bertolt Brecht (Life of Galileo, Threepenny Opera) and his wife are buried here, as are Enlightenment philosophers Hegel (dialectics) and Fichte.
Photography: Some impressive graves offer opportunities to do some nice perspective shots if the weather is nice and detail shots if it isn’t.
Poli Sci: Not much. It is interesting, from a philosophical point to note that the people with the biggest grave sites are not the ones that are best known. I would also venture to guess their social impact was smaller than their graves would suggest.
Museum für Naturkunde: Fantastic natural history museum. Some really innovative uses of audiovisual technology. A massive, if underwhelming presented, collection of minerals (The Smithsonian in
Photography: Some nice opportunities for detail/texture photography, but mostly snapshot type stuff.
Poli Sci: As I mentioned above, the museum is notable for its commitment to presenting science in a clear way. No mention of intelligent design rubbish. Aside from the obvious political debate over the issue in the




East of the Centre: This section also lies in the former
Rotes Rathaus:
Photography: Nice subject at sunset, enhancing the red of the bricks. I didn’t see any angles except straight on.
Poli Sci: Since I didn’t go inside, I don’t know the significance of the building other than it is a government building.
Nicolaikirche: Twin towered church. Looks to be fantastic, but was closed for renovation, due to open sometime in 2009.
Photography: Outside, the twin towers seem to be fairly unique. Plenty of space for a tripod out front. When I was there, it was cloudy with what seemed like every crow in the world flying about, so I tried for a somber, perhaps a bit menacing or Gothic, tone.
Poli Sci: N/A


Marx-Engels-Forum: A classic example of communist bronze sculpture. The East German government (GDR) put up a tribute to the duo which remains today.
Photography: Mostly snapshot stuff. If you’re really clever, you might be able to juxtapose Marx and Engels against the edifices of capitalism around them. Marx is sitting, Engels is standing.
Poli Sci: An interesting reminder that while the GDR and Soviets claimed to carry out the proletariat revolution, in fact they used Marx and Engels as political and philosophical shields to mask plain old authoritarianism. There was very little about their governance that adhered to the ideas of Marx and Engels.

Next door was an ongoing demolition with what had to be every crow and raven in Europe perched on the exposed steel. Those black specks are birds...
Neptunbrunnen: An ornate, interesting fountain focused around the figure of the Greek god of the sea
Photography: The level of artistic skill is amazing. The detail is superb. It really looks like the artist (Reinhold Begas) was sketching
Poli Sci: My only comment is the emphasis on ancient Greek gods in pre WWII Germany is interesting. I don’t know if they were trying to present the German empire as the spiritual successor to the ancient Greeks or if they had another purpose in mind.



Marienkirche: Saint Mary’s church. An interesting accessible church with no entrance fee. I spent about an hour and a half looking around and taking pictures.
Photography: The church cuts a modest figure from the outside, although its relative isolation makes it an appealing subject. There is a fountain behind the church that might be useful in framing a shot. The exterior has some nice details, particularly in the ironwork on the east side. The tower is also more ornate than other churches in this style. The interior has a wealth of architectural and detail photographic opportunities. Of particular note is the carvings on the ends of the pews, the alter and pulpit, and the baptismal font (with the font, you need a longer zoom to get a nice shot of the detail as it is in a roped off section). I was able to discreetly use a tripod, which is a necessity if you want blur-free pictures without bumping up your ISO quite a bit (no flash allowed inside).
Poli Sci: N/A
Fernsehturm: a tall tower capped by a long television antenna visible from just about anywhere in
Photography: I can’t comment on the view from the observation deck. The best angle I found was shooting straight up. I think the best lighting is at dusk (just enough light to give the sky a dark blue cast) with the tower lit by artificial light. A tripod is a necessity and you can get close enough to the tower to make the shot work on the west side.
Poli Sci: A classic example of communist inferiority complex embodied in architecture.
Photography: I shot the staircases and the atrium from the ground up. I got low (down on my knees) to use perspective to convey the majesty of the staircases as well as for practical purposes…the atrium was too tall to get it all in even at the low end of my zoom if I shot from head height.
Poli Sci: N/A


Franziskaner Klosterkirche:

Photography: The massive size of the interior makes it difficult to get the whole thing in one shot. I focused on the cross and pulpit area. I also tried to play around a bit with the lighting given the stark nature of the interior.
Poli Sci: N/A


Stadtmauer: Old
Oh yeah, I shouldn't forget St. George...
Schlossbrücke: Bridge connecting
Photography: The metal figures of seahorses and mermaids set in the side of the bridge make for nice detail shots while the statues present an opportunity to work with framing. The statues are wonderful works of art, but they are isolated against the sky, so I shot them on one side of the frame leaving open sky in the direction of their gaze.
Poli Sci: More Greek god figures (see Neptunbrunnen commentary)
Berliner Dom:
Photography: Inside the cathedral, I was able to use a tripod from on of the overlook seating areas, which suited my purposes. Everything is pretty accessible visually, and the overlooks get less people traffic. The only downside is that when people do come through they vibrate the floor, which produces motion blur in long exposure shots. The church doesn’t have an abundance of light, so a tripod is necessary or high ISO. I didn’t try to use a tripod on the main floor, and I suspect that the cathedral staff would have gotten cranky with me if I did. I don’t know if it is disrespectful to take photos in the crypt (the dead don’t care…) but since I didn’t have an opportunity to take any pictures, I don’t know whether camera flashes get frowns. I didn’t see a lot of people with cameras out.
Poli Sci: N/A







Photography: Snapshots.
Poli Sci: It is fascinating to think about the ability of people long since dead to make interesting stuff, but for me it had no more significance than that.
Alte Nationalgalerie: Old National Gallery. Pretty much like most other art museums in the world. There were a few paintings I thought interesting, and I took pictures of them mostly so I can look them up on the internet and order prints or posters if they don’t cost too much. Like the
Photography: Snapshots.
Poli Sci: N/A
Pergamonmuseum. This one was freaking awesome. Some German road engineer in
Photography: Low lighting (to prevent damage I assume) makes photos difficult. I didn’t try to use a tripod, so increasing the ISO was the only option. Many of the relics on display are very large, making a wide angle zoom very helpful. In the end I found it difficult to do more than take snapshots, but the museum and its contents are so extraordinary I was willing to settle.
Poli Sci: Not being an expert in ancient Greek politics I can’t really add much here.
Unter den Linden (Under the lime trees): This is the historic main street in
Photography: None of any significance
Poli Sci: The United States could learn something from the German approach to their history. The Germans are brutally honest about what happened in WWII. Jews weren’t just killed, they were murdered. That is the language the Germans use. They make it very clear that Germans and their leaders purposely did really awful things. There is no effort at all to gloss over the past or to dissemble. It was a refreshing contrast to the United States, where the role of slavery is downplayed, treatment of Native Americans is all but neglected, and American foreign policy is downright whitewashed (quick, show of hands—how many of you know the US occupied and brutally repressed the Philippines for 50 years? Anyone?). This is not to say
Neue Wache. Right next to the German National History museum is the German national war memorial, dedicated to victims of war and dictatorship. In the
Photography: Neue Wache is a powerful place, and its simplicity offers an opportunity to try to capture the feeling of being there. The lighting is poor, and I didn’t feel setting up a tripod would be appropriate, so I bumped up my ISO and did the best I could. You can see I felt the best angle was down low, so I basically held my camera close to ground and shot blind.
Poli Sci: I already covered this above I think.
Deutsche Guggenheim: This the German extension of the Guggenheim. On Monday’s it has free admission, so I went on Monday. I’m glad I didn’t pay. The exhibit through April is called True North, and while it is interesting, it is small and not really worth an entrance fee. I didn’t take any pictures, but there were some on display. My favorite I think was a photo of a some snow covered hills that the photographer had skied across to reveal the topography.
Bebelplatz: You know in the last Indiana Jones Movie (Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade) when the Germans are burning books and Sean Connery tells the double crossing female archeologist that Germans should reading books instead of burning them? Well Bebelplatz is the actual plaza where they burned the books. In the center, underground and visible through a
Photography: None. Just experience being there.
Poli Sci: The book burning reminds me of the total effort the Nazis made to control the thoughts of the public. Those who disagreed were vilified, reconstructed as threats to security and enemies of the state. Broadcasts of rallies showed thousands of people eagerly hanging on every word of their Nazi leadership and cheering jubilantly, making it seem to doubters that they were alone in their concerns. It reminds me of the efforts the Bush administration to control what government scientists tell the public and speeches and political rallies where the crowd is carefully screened to exclude anyone who might disagree. Just to make sure its clear I’m not just picking on Bush, there are reports that Hillary Clinton has done the same thing, and maybe all politicians do these days. Any way you cut it, its wrong. Political leaders should have to confront, on a regular basis, those who disagree with them and explain their policy positions. Leave mind control to the evil.
Französischer Dom/Konzerhaus/Deutscher Dom: French Cathedral/Concert House/German Cathedral. These three buildings make up a pleasant square off Unter den Linden. While I didn’t have time to go in any of them, the square makes for a very nice panorama shot. The statue in the middle is of the German poet Schiller. The French Cathedral was build by French Huguenot fleeing persecution in Catholic France and the Germans built similar cathedral as a gesture of support I guess.


Brandenburger Tor:
I did notice something very interesting on my way to Brandenburg Gate. Both the US Embassy and the British Embassy are on Unter den Linden. The security measures taken for each embassy were symbolic of the psyche of the different peoples:
Note the differences. The US Embassy (top) is bunkered down. The message is clear: go away. We are afraid. The UK Embassy (bottom) takes a different approach. Bollards in the road block serious threats, but don't stop people from passing through. The message: there are threats in the world, but we are not going to live in fear.
Holocaust Denkmal: Holocaust memorial. I remember when the design for this was chosen a few years back. As I recall, it was controversial. In so many ways, this memorial is what it should be. It consists of a trapezoidal plot of land covered in rectangular columns. The dimensions of the columns are exactly the same except the height, which varies somewhat randomly, with those in the middle as a general rule taller than those at the edge. They are arrayed precisely in line along the x and y axes (that is, there are alleys or walkways between the columns that run from one edge of the memorial to the other uninterrupted in both the east-west and north-south orientations). The ground under the columns is rolling, with significant changes in elevation. There is no reason for the number of columns: their number has no symbolic meaning at all. The perfection lies in the memorial’s effort to address the political dynamic of the Holocaust. Internally, the vision of the world presented by the Nazis had a structure, a purpose, its own kind of rationality. That is represented in the precise geometry of the columns as well as in their precise alignment. But, underneath the façade of rationality is a deep and fundamental irrationality, represented in the random number of columns, the rolling ground, and the unpredictability of the column heights. The core, the substance of the memorial, the ground and the columns on top of it, are deeply irrational. In this way I think the memorial addresses the most dangerous aspect of the Holocaust. In every society there are people who would do horrible things. That is not controversial, and while the acts they may perpetrate are awful and historical for the victims, they are not awful and historical on the scope of society. What Hitler and the Nazis were able to do was perpetrate acts of such horror and scale so as to make them horrible and historical on the scale of societies. Moreover, they were able to bring with them on their insane journey many people who, on their own, would not commit such acts. What differentiates the singular madman/woman from the Nazis? The political process. It was through the political dynamic that the Nazis were able to be awful and historical at the level of society. It is the political process, how the Nazis manipulated it to achieve their ends, that is all to easily forgotten. It is just as important as the victims, who are remembered underneath the memorial is a museum outlining the progression of Nazi holocaust policy on the human level. Included in the museum are stories of families caught up in the Holocaust as well as diary entries from victims inside the concentration camps.

Tiergarten: This used to be the Hohenzollern private picnic area and hunting grounds. Now it’s a largely forested city district. There are a couple interesting monuments. One to Soviet soldiers who died taking
Potsdamer Platz. A commercial redevelopment of an area in
Siegessäaule: Triumphal Column. You can see this thing all the way from Brandenburg Gate. The Nazi’s apparently moved it its current location because it got in the way of their master city scheme. It commemorates German war victories at the end of the 19th century that resulted in the unification of
I’m running out of steam here, so I’m just going to summarize the rest of
Kreuzberg. Location of the Berlin Wall checkpoint in the
Kurfürstendamm: The Berlin Zoo is located in this sector. Nice as zoos go, although at 9 Euro for students, it pales in comparison to the U.S. National Zoo in D.C. (free). You can get pretty close to the elephants, and we were able to see the lionesses and their cubs being fed. The male lion was quite unfriendly...while Janelle and I were looking at the cubs, I saw a stream of something come out of his cage and hit bystanders. You can guess what it was. Can't miss Knut the Cute :) (although he has outgrown the cute part). Also here is the Kaiser Wilhelm Gadächtnis Kirche (Kaiser Wilhelm Church). During the Nazi regime it was one of the bases of religious opposition to the regime. It was largely destroyed in WWII and instead of being rebuild the skeleton was left and a new church and belltower were constructed beside it. The new church and belltower are constructed using a grid of reinforced concrete with multicolored (mostly blue) glass in the grid squares. Quite a unique church.










Schloss Charlottenburg: The only thing I saw here was the outside of the palace by the same name (with Janelle). It was pretty pricy to get in, and we had a nice time walking in the free gardens behind the palace, so no regrets here.
Well that’s it. If you made it this far thanks for reading. There are a lot of places I didn’t see despite my fairly disciplined sightseeing (mostly art museums). If you have any comments, please feel free to leave them so I know you were here!