The
Gendarmenmarkt in Berlin-Mitte is one of the more scrumptious squares in Berlin. It is
where you can visit the Concert Hall that sits in the middle of the square
between the French and the German Cathedral. The German Cathedral on
Gendarmenmarkt was built 1702 to 1708 to plans by Martin Gruenberg. After several
modifications over the centuries, the Protestant church finally handed the
building to the authoritarian government of the GDR in 1984.
During World War II the building was heavily damaged, and it remained that way till 1993. Imagine that totally ramshackle looking building in the 40 years of the GDR. There wasn't any money in the broke GDR, nor was there ever any passionate interest to restore it. The GDR started restoration work, but actually nothing much happened. It got back to all its former glory only after reunification.
Berlin – Dance till you drop
You
know people, in general, have very strong opinions on things, and I can only hope
they form their opinions based on a healthy mix of information and experiences.
I give you an example, the other day I visited the Refugee Centre Museum here
in Berlin, and funnily enough there were only two other visitors during the
whole time I was there. Sort of sad that hardly anyone is interested
in the topic. How come so many have an opinion on it?
Many even say democracy is dead. The concept of democracy is somewhat rocket science, true, but it is not a secret that politicians are hiding from us.
Many even say democracy is dead. The concept of democracy is somewhat rocket science, true, but it is not a secret that politicians are hiding from us.
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| Street Art in Berlin |
This is a massive part of travelling, it is mostly about being curious, being interested in the world, learning from your experiences, learning from all the people you meet, and from the things you see. Berlin has so many bars and night clubs where you can drink and dance till you drop and a there are a few Café’s where you get a really decent coffee, but most of all is Berlin an excellent place to learn from the past. How else do you plan to create a better future? Coming to Berlin without digging deep into history is a waste really.
A ferroconcrete staircase holds everything together
After
the reunification of Germany in 1990, the German Parliament used the German
Cathedral for several different exhibitions. The permanent exhibition
"Paths, wrong turns, detours - the development of parliamentary democracy
in Germany" is particularly devoted to those epochs of German history, in
which the essential foundations of the political order of the Federal Republic
of Germany were put in place. The exhibition on parliamentary history is
interactive. Touchscreens explain laws, and films explain the everyday life of
parliamentarians. The plenary hall is accessible for everyone. No barriers and
no glass walls separate the visitors from that eagle and the famous blue chairs.
There
is a ferroconcrete staircase that goes all the way up to the cupola of the
cathedral, and that piece is an intrinsic attraction for architecture lovers.
When you enter the cathedral I bet you are going to be tremendously surprised.
It differs strikingly from the exterior of the building. On five levels
visitors can follow the historical development of the parliamentary system in
Germany, and can additionally gain insight into the role of parliaments in an
increasingly merging Europe.
Info German Cathedral Gendarmenmarkt
Address: Gendarmenmarkt 1-2, 10117 Berlin. Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 6pm, May to September to 7pm. Tickets: Free. Guided tours: There are (free) half-hour guided tours, every 30 minutes between 11am and 5pm.
Can’t
wait to hear from you.