It feels like it has been so long since I last shared with you all about my adventures here in Warsaw but there has been a lot going on!
I arrived back from Prague on July 3rd and spent the rest of my week just trying to rest after that long weekend. I was also really excited for the upcoming weekend because it was going to be my first full weekend in Warsaw since I had arrived back in June. To be truthful, I was just really looking forward to 'staying put' for some time until my next trip. The weekend was wonderful! Melissa, my roommate here in Warsaw took me to this great pottery store that she loves and we just spent the day together wandering through pottery stores and Old Town Warsaw. Saturday night, Melissa and I went to this delicious Italian Restaurant, Trattoria Rucola, and enjoyed a wonderful dinner together. Here are some pics from our dinner: (my mouth is watering just thinking of this food!)
This was our first round with drinks and apps. A delicious pear salad and prosciutto breadsticks, complete with piwo. (That's Polish for beer)
This is Melissa with our second round: our pizzas and some vino. Melissa is who I have been living with while in Warsaw and she is an absolute sweetheart! We had two of probably the best pizzas! We decided to get two smaller ones and split them. Melissa ordered a Margarita and I got one with Rucola (Polish for arugula), prosciutto and parmesan. So yummy!
Sunday morning, the two of us travelled to the Koło flea market. This was a place that both Melissa and I, along with Melissa's friend, Molly, had gone to my first weekend in Warsaw but the two of us agreed that we would need to go back. I absolutely LOVE this market! It is full of Polish vendors, culture, and all sorts of fantastic treasures! And of course, my favorite: people watching! Melissa and I still agree that we may need to head back one more time before we both leave Warsaw.
The week itself was kind of surreal. I was not used to staying in one spot for too long as I have only spent a few days each week actually in Warsaw since my arrival. Otherwise, I was headed to different spots and experiencing different countries and cities! It was a good week at my internship- lots of time spent working on a database I am compiling that lists genealogical societies and Holocaust museums/ education centers worldwide. This registry is an initial step in the process of partnering with these organizations and promoting the work of Family Heritage, the Jewish genealogical center where I am interning for the summer. In addition, I have also been working on developing educational materials for kindergarten classes at Lauder Morasha, which is a Jewish primary school in Warsaw.
But the most exciting part of the week, at least from my perspective was that I was gearing up for a BIG adventure to Berlin! From a historical standpoint, I had spent my last two years of college, especially senior year focusing on German history- this was just my chance to put these experiences into their physical context. Another bonus of this trip is that a fellow Carroll student, Jill Harmon, has spent her summer in Mainz, Germany and we were planning to meet up together in Berlin. Knowing that I was heading to Germany, I sent an email to my former history professor, Dr. Glaes, who had spent some time in Berlin in 2011 and asked my roommate, Melissa, what I should definitely plan to see while there. After an exchange of emails, texts and Facebook messages, I put their notes together and compiled a 'bucket list' of sorts that I needed to see and do while in Berlin. So, I thought I'd share the list with you; here goes:
1) Visit a beer garden, or a biergarten (if you want the German name) I was told that their was a famous one in the former East Berlin, but really any of them will do***
2) Visit the Stasi Museum/ Stasi Archives
3) Do a Fat Tire Bike Tour of Berlin
4) Visit the Stasi prison***
5) Attend a classical music concert
6) Take a boat tour on the River Spree***
7) Visit the Holocaust Memorial and underground exhibition***
8) Visit the Brandenburg gate***
9) Visit Checkpoint Charlie***
10) Go and see secions of the Berlin Wall***
11) Visit Potsdam and the Potsdam Palace
12) Visit Wansee and the House of the Wansee Conference
13) Tour the Reichstag***
14) Find the church burned during World War II
15) Notice differences between the former East & West Berlin***
16) Eat summer asparagus
17) Visit the Fulbright Commission
18) Eat a German breakfast/ brunch***
19) Have German ice cream, or "eis" as the Germans call it***
20) Order coffee and cake***
21) Do some street market shopping
22) Visit the Soviet Memorial/ Treptower Park***
23) Visit the Jewish Museum***
24) Visit the Topography of Terror Museum***
25) Visit the East Side Gallery***
26) Visit Museum Island***
27) Go to Sachsenhaussen Concentration Camp
28) Ride a boat on the River Spree***
29) Visit the DDR Museum
30) Go to the Flea Market in Mauer Park
Well...if you ask me, it was a pretty packed four and a half days in Berlin! I think I could have easily stayed longer...there was still so much to see! So, that's the list! I should probably explain that all those items on the list with an asterisk are ones that I crossed off while in Berlin and those that weren't are ones that I didn't get too- at least this trip.
When I got to the Hauptbahnhof (the central Berlin train station) on Friday about 1:30 pm, I was completely overwhelmed. The sheer size of the building is massive, it could truly rival any airport I've ever seen. But I had arrived! The next trick was trying to find my way to the hostel. Jill and another intern from Mainz were both originally arriving in Berlin around 6 pm, but a text I received alerted me that they had already arrived. After some work on getting directions from fellow travellers, I arrived at the hostel.
This is Jill and I touring the museums on Sunday afternoon. It was so great to see this girl!
After walking through the glass doors to the hostel, I spotted Jill's big curly hair in the lobby and we both got excited as it was our first familiar face since being abroad! We headed up to the room and I met Jill's friend, Anastasiia, who is from Canada, but is also in Mainz for the summer. Now, this was my first time travelling with other people since I went to Kraków that first weekend. My past couple of trips where I have been a solo traveller, I have always just kept going after those long train rides, wanting to make the most of the little time I had in these places. However, Jill and Anastasiia both had something a little different in mind as the three of us just took some time to rest in our room, chat and catch up before heading out again. While initially not what I was planning on (my inner self going "we are burning daylight here"), it was really nice to have some time to "breathe" and get acclimated to my new surroundings. Later in our evening, we stumbled upon a German restaurant and decided to have dinner there before retiring to our room and gearing up for the weekend's adventures!
Saturday morning we all went to breakfast together in our hostel (thank you Nutella!) and made plans for what we wanted to see. Knowing the things on my list almost from memory, I had formulated some idea of the order I was thinking of doing things. I wanted to find out what the girls wanted to do and hoped the three of us could see the city together. The girls really wanted to do a walking tour of the city. They had looked at brochures of different places and found a couple options they thought were good ideas to see the most in the city. Despite wanting to take a bike tour of the city, the walking tour we decided on allowed us to see everything from the bike tour and more! Here are some pics from our walking tour:
Berliner Dom. A beautiful cathedral located on Museum Island.
The Brandenburg Gate. On the other side of this gate is the place where Ronald Reagan stood and delivered his infamous speech, uttering the words, "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!"
The Holocaust Memorial. This was definitely one of the more emotional parts of the trip for me. The memorial is approximately 2700 of these concrete blocks and as you walk deeper into it, you sink further down, unable to see beyond the concrete around you. In a way, the symbolism of this design also shows how today you can see the results of the Holocaust, for the devastation in its entirety, but while it was happening, you couldn't see beyond your immediate circumstances.
Victory Column. The three of us had actually gone to the column earlier in the day and climbed to the top but it was also pointed out by our tour guide. It was so beautiful to be able to walk to the top and see out over Berlin in so many directions.
The Berlin Wall moument. This is the longest remaining section of the wall. Our tour guide, Jessica, explained to us that the wall is not being preserved but rather stands as a symbol of the past, a reminder for Germany as it moves forward into the future- essentially saying that while not physically present, this remnant of the wall still stands to demonstrate that unification between the former East and West continues to take place.
This six plus hour walking tour of Berlin not only allowed us to see these places, but also see the site of Hitler's bunker, the Russian Embassy, the Tiergarten, Checkpoint Charlie, the "deathstrip", "Ghost Station" and Berlin's TV tower- just to name a few. After our tour, we spotted a chocolate factory that we had wanted to check out before grabbing a bite for dinner. All I can say is that it was probably some of the best chocolate I have ever had! Not to mention, many of Berlin's landmarks being fashioned out of chocolate and on display- for instance, the Brandenburg Gate or the Reichstag. Our tour guide, Jessica, had mentioned a Bavarian restaurant in the vicinity of our tour's end point, so we enjoyed a delicious dinner and our feet enjoyed a bit of a break as well.
Sunday morning we ate breakfast and then made our "game plan" for what we wanted to do. For Jill and Anastasiia, this was their last full day in Berlin before heading back to Mainz so the day was really open for what they were interested in doing- especially since I would have all of Monday to continue to explore Berlin. The girls decided on a boat tour- yet another thing I could check off my list and we spent the morning on the River Spree, taking Berlin in from a different perspective. However, we did wonder where the sun had gone as the morning was a bit overcast. The boat tour lasted around three and a half hours. Afterwards, we found a place for pizza (always a good choice) and let our fingertips thaw out a bit- I guess I hadn't realized how chilly it actually was.
Here's the three of us on our boat tour. Jill is on my right and Anastasiia to my left. Despite a colder summer morning, it was so relaxing- especially with our coffee in hand.
As the weekend went on, the bucket list continued to be a fun thing- often dictating our adventures! The girls were always asking, "what should we see today?" or "what do you need to cross off of your list?" This added a little fun to our weekend and the next stop was getting to see the museums that were on our list: this included Topography of Terror, the Jewish museum, the underground exhibition of the Holocaust memorial and the Stasi museum. I figured whatever museums that we didn't get a chance to see on Sunday, I could go by myself on Monday after the girls left on their train.
We ended up going to the Topography of Terror museum and the underground Holocaust exhibition. First, we headed to the Topography of Terror museum. The museum is actually at the site of the former Gestapo and SS headquarters (the Nazi Secret Police) with an underground outdoor exhibit among the ruins of the building.
Here is a picture of the outdoor exhibit, which details Berlin 1933, the year that Hitler came to power. I found it a little interesting that this exhibit is also on the other side of the Berlin Wall. So much history so close together!
After exploring the outdoor exhibit, we went inside to view the indoor portion of the museum which shows pictures of Nazi officers, details the role of propaganda and the press and also pictures of the Nazis and the Holocaust. It was a very different perspective to walk through this museum, as you are exploring the Holocaust and Nazi Germany from the view of the perpetrators- their smiling faces in most pictures.
Adolf Eichmann at his trial in 1961. If you are ever looking for an interesting read, I would recommend Hannah Arendt's Eichmann in Jerusalem, where she lends her views on the preceedings. Eichmann was one of the perpetrators responsible for the deportation of Jews as well as organizing the lgassings that took place, especially towards the end of the war. After his kidnapping, he was tried on fifteen charges in Israel 1961 and sentenced to death. His photo was one of the first that I saw at Topography of Terror- recognizing his face almost immediately.
This was another exhibit in the museum that detailed the role of the press in Nazi Germany. They actually had Nazi newspapers on a large table that had been distributed throughout the war and you could look through them. While I cannot speak German, I did recognize some phrases that I had seen in connection with Nazi propaganda and the Final Solution.
After spending an hour or so at the Topography of Terror museum, we headed back to the Holocaust memorial to visit the underground exhibition. Talk about an intersting schedule of events- we were just leaving the museum that explored the perpetrators point of view and now were headed to the memorial of the results of what these perpetrators set out to do. While in Berlin, I had felt this eerie, slightly haunting feeling while walking through certain places of the city. This city had been central to Nazi terror from 1933-1945. It was an interesting feeling, one that I am not sure I will ever be rid of when I think of Berlin. But just the thought that you were walking a former hallway where Nazi officials had or standing above the place where Hitler committed suicide with his wife, Eva Braun.
As we waited in line for the underground exhibits, it was very somber feeling to be paying tribute to the six million murdered Jews of Europe. As you walk through the bottom of the memorial, you start by walking through a brief history of Jewish persecution and the Final Solution from 1933- 1945. Next, it weaves you into a room that is completely dark, except the quotes of those who had perished illuminated as if tiles on the floor. The next room gives you pictures of different families throughout Europe and then includes a family tree, telling you which ones were murdered and which ones survived, if any. The final room is completely dark, except for a name on the screen. At times, there were actual testimonies from these men and women and other times, a voice telling you their fate. Either way, they were one of the six million. This was definitely a part in my day that took some digesting- both the first museum and the second. Such evils that occurred in Nazi Germany and such a devastating result of so many lives taken.
The exterior of the Reichstag. This is where we waited before we were led inside by a guide.
View into a garden in the middle of the Reichstag from the top terrace.
Before coming to Berlin, Anastasiia had made reservations for the three of us to tour of Reichstag, the German parliament building. Since our names were on the list, we were able to show our passports and go through security before waiting to be led into the building- a relatively painless process. After entering the Reichstag, I was just amazed at the size of the interior. While it looks massive from the outside, that feeling translates to the inner parts of the building, especially going up the elevator to the terrace and glass dome at the top. The three of us were very excited when we finally got to the top as the views out over Berlin are absolutely breathtaking. Here's some of our photo fun at the top:
Jill and I at the top of the Reichstag.
Inside the glass dome at the top of the Reichstag making our way to the top.
View from one of the corners of the Reichstag rooftop terrace.
After our tour, we set out to find one of the things on the list which was a famous beer garden in East Berlin. After some searching we found it and made our way there. It was a relaxing night along the river, enjoying drinks, dinner and good friends.
This is the back side of the beer garden as we are making our way across the bridge over there. You can see the outdoor part of the garden next to the green striped wall.
The front entrance to the Schleusenkrug, the beer garden. You went up to the window and order and then take your food to an empty table. They also had a barbeque counter where you could get different German sausages with cous cous, which were really yummy!
Monday morning was brief before the girls headed out on their 11:00 am train. We found a little place to have a proper German breakfast together- complete with a cappuccino and made our way back to the Hauptbahnhof to catch their train. After we said our "goodbyes", I was now a solo traveller. I wanted to first drop off my suitcase at my hostel for the night before heading out to museums. My goal for the afternoon was three: the Stasi museum, the Stasi prison and the Jewish museum.
I had some trouble finding the Stasi museum so I opted to head to the prison for the first 'leg' of the afternoon. The Stasi prison was a true testament to the cyclic nature of the German secret police and how Germany was fueled by a culture of paranoia that existed from 1950 until the fall of the wall. Our tour guide, Kristen explained to us that after meeting former prisoners and hearing their testamonies, she wouldn't talk about their experiences, saying that it "was too painful." Here are some pictures from my tour of the prison:
The prison now serves as a memorial to the experiences of the Stasi prisoners and a reminder of the psychological torment that took place behind these concrete walls. Interestingly, this garden was not planted after the prison became a museum but actually by the Stasi. It was their way of protecting what was truly going on here and saying that "it was not a prison."
A door to a cell of one of the prisoners. That peephole (red teardrop shape) is where the guards looked in on the prisoners every three to four minutes. The prisoners were not allowed to sit or lie down, they were only allowed to walk in their cells or stand but only in view of what could be seen through the peephole.
The inside of one of the prisoner cells. When sleeping at night, the prisoners had to remain on their backs with their hands at their side- they were not permitted to deviate from this position.
Imagine a prisoner being behind the bars. This was where prisoners were read their sentences from a man sitting behind the desk (not pictured). It was another form of dehumanization that took place in pursuit of extracting information from these prisoners.
The Stasi prison tour took some time and was really interesting to see another place that I had read extensively about- not necessarily the prison itself, but more of the culture of the Stasi and how they operated- still nonetheless, an impactful experience. Kristen told us too that former Stasi prisoners give tours in German to groups of people visiting the museum and that former Stasi officers who live in the vicinity will come take a tour just to harass these former prisoners, which I thought to be very thought- provoking.
After the Stasi prison, I headed to the Jewish museum. Melissa had told me that I really should make sure and see this place so I was definitely excited to go! From an architectural standpoint, the museum is very abstract, leaving open spaces for visitors to ponder and reflect on what they were seeing.
One of the first parts of the exhibit details the culture of being Jewish- from appearance to diet and more. It is an introduction that allows people to understand the basics of being Jewish.
The next part of the museum is the underground exhibition that shows three different continuities of Jewish history, which are separated into three separate axes. The first is the Axis of Exile, the second is the Axis of Continuity and the third of the Axis of the Holocaust. At the end of each of these long hallways has a memorial of sorts- the Holocaust tower being the most impactful for me. It is a huge tower where you are surrounded by concrete walls, it is cold and there is only a flicker of light allowed to come in through the top. I reached my hand out and placed it on the cold concrete wall- said a prayer and stood in silence for some time before leaving.
This is the view from the bottom of the Holocaust tower- only being able to see a small opening of light.
After walking through these exhibits, I was directed to an area that detailed Jewish history, which I found fascinating. With many different artifacts and pieces to each time period, it was truly an afternoon spent embracing Jewish history. The blessing was that the museum was open late on Mondays, until 10 pm, which worked in my favor as I looked down at my watch and it was already around 9:45 pm. I finished the last parts of the museum and realized how hungry I truly was.
Since I was by myself, I figured it was a good excuse to treat myself to a relaxing dinner and I knew just where I wanted to go, having just the picturesque location in mind. I took a couple of commuter trains and was back at the Brandenburg Gate.
This is the view from my table. I had a good book with me and just enjoyed a nice evening as the sun was setting over Berlin.
My last German dinner. Currywurst with potatoes. So delicious! After dinner, I had to take a few trains and was back at my hostel, completely exhausted. But what a great last night in Berlin!
Tuesday morning I packed up my suitcase at my hostel and made my way back to the Hauptbahnhof. I had a little time before I had to catch my 1:37 pm train and still wanted to cross a few things off of my 'bucket list.' By this time, I had about 4 hours before my train. I wanted to have a German breakfast again (just because it was so good) and also have coffee and cake.
It was a pretty busy morning to say the least but I managed to do all of it- despite getting distracted at the Birkenstock store. I even made sure to enjoy cake and coffee near the Brandenburg Gate at Cafe Lebensart. While a short time, it was still one of those German things I was determined to do while there! I have to say I am so thankful that I made time for it! Just look at it:
A moist buttercream cake with a delicious cup of coffee. Thankful I made time for #20 on the list!
After finishing up my last sips of coffee, I hustled to the Hauptbahnhof to buy a few postcards and purchase my train snacks. Berlin also has the most delicious train snacks- namely train sandwiches, my favorite being: a baguette with prosciutto, argula, tomatoes and parmesean cheese. I even bought an extra so that I could have one for dinner that night when I got back to Warsaw.
After arriving back at Warsaw's central station later that evening, I just thought to myself: "I did it!" Crossed off so many things on my 'bucket list' and loved every second of it! It was a weekend filled with meeting a new friend and catching up with an old one, many new experiences, visiting beautiful places, and of course, delicious food! For the history girl in me, I am so thankful that I had the chance to go to Berlin and explore this beautiful city! It is truly a place that continues to embrace its past but looks to new beginnings in its future! What a wonderful adventure...
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