Old City, New City

Now where were we... Ah yes, Berlin. An old city filled with the new.

I must say, this city is truly awesome. The people are nice, the transportation is great, and it has its sights set on the future. Obviously, much of Berlin looks nothing like it did pre-WWII. With over 80% of this bustling metropolis destroyed or damaged by Allied bombing and fighting at the end of the war, Berliners have had to rebuild.

And rebuilding they are. One of the first things you notice are the massive construction projects lining the streets. New apartments and new shopping complexes are constantly being added and I was informed that it is one of the top cities in the world for new urban development. However, many areas are still full of old Soviet-era buildings, so it creates an interesting mix of bland, boring, very Communist style dwellings with new, glass-covered, modern skyscrapers. This is of course because the fall of the Berlin Wall only occurred a mere 23 years ago and many of these new buildings are straddling the former border between East and West or are in the "no-man's-land" of the inner walls.
To me this is a fitting end to the division of Berlin. The period between 1963 and 1989 was not a great time for Berliners, who had already had to deal with the total destruction and then re-construction of their proud city. The Reichstag, or German Parliament building had been burned to the ground pre-War, the Brandenburg Gate, the most famous landmark constructed by the Prussians in the 18th century, was in tatters. Ruins of Nazi buildings left citizens humiliated and ashamed. This was not a great place to live.

And yet the people of Berlin carried on and today I can honestly say that they are on the path to greatness once again. And don't think Berliners have forgotten about their rocky path. The Jewish Memorial to victims of the holocaust dominates a square near all the government buildings, just a short walk to the restored Brandenburg Gate. It is a monument designed to overwhelm those who walk through it, and I can tell you, it does overwhelm. Consisting of hundreds of concrete blocks ranging from two to twelve feet high, lined up in perfect rows, it is a haunting reminder of the past and motivation to reconcile in the future.

I like this city more and more everyday and I will be sorry to leave, but I assure you I will be back one day and I am excited to see how different it will look even in the near future. I promise you guys I will have some pictures up soon, as I have been taking LOTS. Unfortunately, the wi-fi at this hotel is, well... not very good to say the least so it is taking quite a bit of time to upload. So stay tuned folks, there is lots more to come. We visited Wittenberg today, home of my home-boy Martin Luther so I am excited to write about that. Alas my time is short and my days full. I'll  be sure to have it ready by tomorrow. Hopefully with pictures. Until then... Ich Bin Berliner!

-RGIV