Onward to Brandenburg Gate (www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brandenburg_Gate). Well, really we just pivoted 180 degrees from the Euromaxx studio window and there it was.
At the end of Unter den Linden Boulevard is the grand Pariser Platz. It was filled with carriage ride opportunities, street entertainers, bicycle rentals, artists, an abundance of action.
We admired the sculpture on top of the gate titled the Quadriga (a chariot drawn by four horses). It was designed in 1793 by Johann Gottfried Schadow. For additional and interesting info (including when Napoleon stole it and took it to Paris), go to: www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quadriga
The Gate is actually located in the previous Eastern Sector and stood within the "dead" zone between the Berlin wall and the "baby" Wall. It was a no man's land where someone trying to escape could easily be seen and killed by Soviet or East German military.
The dates it closed (August 14, 1961) and re-opened (December 22, 1989) are well remembered, along with the oppression surrounding it. And you cannot forget the lives that were lost trying to escape from East Germany over, under or through the Berlin Wall.
When the Wall fell, the Gate symbolized freedom and hope of unity for the City of Berlin.
No vehicular traffic is allowed through the Gate now, but we and other pedestrians slowly strolled through, admiring its artistry and high arches. While the eastern side is all formal, regal and military style buildings and concrete, the western side is mostly parks and greenery. It was a somber moment of reflection of the two lifestyles in years past.
The street name on the west side of the Gate turns into Straße des 17. Juni (or 17th of June Street, commemorating the uprising in 1953 of East Berlin workers against the Red Army. Some of these protesting workers were killed). This long green boulevard leads through Tiergarten Park toward the Berlin Victory Column momument. We didn't get that far, but we could see its gold presence shining in the distance.
Just on the other side of the gate was a more solemn site. On a fence along the park were white crosses, each with the name of a person that had tried to escape East Berlin, but was killed in the process. There were narratives and photos telling about the life of each person. So sad!
It has a large glass dome that offers a 360 degree view of the Berlin cityscape, as well as the main hall of the parliament below. It was constructed in 1999, replacing the original cupola of the building.
We had taken a lot in and our feet were tired and achy, so we returned to our hotel to refresh. We meandered back a different route using the Berlin TV tower as our guide. It is 1,198 feet tall and can be seen from just about anywhere in the city. It was not too far from our hotel, so a good landmark to get our bearings.
No comments:
Post a Comment
If you have visited any of these places, we would love to hear your comments. Or send us recommendations of places we should not miss.