Thursday, August 15th, 2013: I write this with heavy heart as I get ready to say goodbye to my FAVORITE European city (and one of my favorite cities in the world), eating breakfast at the Main Station Hostel and trying not to think about the three flights I have in front of me on my trek back to my FAVORITE CITY in the WORLD, BOSTON! Right now, I need to just reflect on my final 36 hours in Berlin and I will do a separate post later on the past five weeks.
Okay, so I arrived back in Berlin around 8 Tuesday night after a beautiful flight from Helsinki and I felt this unmatched excitement that I only really get when I come here. As my plane was getting ready to land at Tegel, I saw the TV Tower by Alexanderplatz and, in so many ways, I was like "Yeah baby, I'm home". Almost immediate after I got to my hostel (the first one I had ever stayed at in my life when I came to Berlin last summer), I went out for a kebab and beverages and enjoyed the city. Knowing that yesterday was going to be my last day, I did something I rarely do, I made a PLAN of places I wanted to see and started prioritizing. This plan was based a lot on my interests and trying to see museums and places I had not been to here. As a teacher, there is NO BETTER city than Berlin, especially when educating about the 20th century to the present. The First World War, the rize of liberalism during the interwar period, the rise of Nazism, the Holocaust, the Second World War, the Cold War, the end of the Cold War, the emergence of the European Union, environmental progress and modern education....Need I go any further :)!? So much happened here and I could spend another 2 weeks here and still not be satisfied.
Anyway, I went to three very unique places yesterday that will ultimately bring unique experiences into the classroom. I started by going to the former East German Stasi Prison, Gedenskstätte. Here, George Orwell really comes to life as I learned how the former German Democratic Republic (GDR, DDR, or East Germany) used to spy on its citizens and look for "suspicious" activities against the State. People were taken here for such heinous crimes as making fun of Stalin or criticizing the government. They would be held in isolation or in cramped cells without being able to see any light, would be taken from their homes by individuals who dressed in plain clothes, whisked away in trucks that had a facade on the outside giving it the appearance of a food vehicle, and they would be tortured to extract false confessions and to make the state appear democratic at trials (even though the international community knew the whole judicial system was a farce). Ultimately, usually after 36 hours of sleep deprivation, exposure to intense temperatures, types of water boarding, and fear of retribution against family members, suspects usually confessed and were sentenced to jail or hard labor. The whole tour of the prison, which ironically was set up as a Nazi welfare house to help its poor German citizens before being taken over by the Soviets, was sickening and really eerie!
On the subject of Russia, after the tour of Gedenkastte, I went to the house where the Nazis surrendered to the Soviets on May 8th, 1945 (they signed a separate treaty with France, the US, and the UK in another part of the city). The house in and of itself is also a museum that has documents, clothing, weapons, and various artifacts from World War II. In one of my pictures, the one with my face and flags and table in the background, there is the actual room where the treaty was signed, and that was really great to see.
The last place I went to yesterday was the famed (or actually infamous) Berlin Olympic Stadium. The stadium is most known for hosting the 1936 Berlin Olympics, otherwise known as the Nazi Olympics. The games were actually awarded to Berlin in 1931, before Hitler came to power and to make up for its cancelation in Berlin in 1916 due to World War I. Hitler had initially hoped to personally congratulate every gold medalist and had his seat deliberately extended outward to have a prime viewing spot. On the first day of the games, Jesse Owens quickly changed Hitler's plans by winning gold, and Hitler had refused to honor a non - white athlete.
Since World War II, the stadium has been redesigned and outfitted with completely modern seats, artificial turf, and holds the largest score board in Europe. It has hosted major concerts such as the Rolling Stones and U2 and has even hosted former Pope John Paul II. It has upgraded for the 21st century while maintaining its brick facade.
Okay. Last night, I really just walked around, grabbed a kebab, and packed. I leave Berlin satisfied but wanting so much more. Ultimately, my plan is to be back here again next year and to run the Berlin Marathon within the next five years. Yes, it is AWESOME :)!
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