Let them come to Berlin

"Lasst sie nach Berlin kommen"

"Let them come to Berlin"

These words were spoken when John F. Kennedy made his famous "Ich bin ein Berliner" speech. I had always wanted to go to Berlin. I grew up hearing stories about the famous landmarks that are still standing. My grandparents lived in Germany two separate times during my grandfather's 20-year Army career, one of which was Berlin where my grandparents, dad and uncle lived in divided Germany. They were behind the Iron Curtain when the Berlin Wall was still standing. I looked forward to a day where I could see where they all lived and stand where they stood. A four-day weekend was my chance. 

A little background: We are a military family and The Mr. got stationed in Germany last year. Because I found out I was pregnant one month after arriving and suffered from sciatica for most of my pregnancy, it was hard to be on my feet for long or walking long distances. Now that Little T is over two months old, we planned our first trip.

We left bright and early, hoping the kids would have some time to sleep (they didn't) and that we'd avoid traffic (we fortunately did). We checked in to a hotel in what was East Berlin, complete with a gigantic fish tank that stretched five stories high. The girls loved seeing the fish swimming around and there were even little Dories in the tank.

We set off for some sightseeing after refueling with pizza (and beer for the adults). Unfortunately, it was typical Berlin weather and was cold, rainy and super windy. We ducked into an aquarium for some fun for the kids. We didn't get to do much. The kids were worn out and it was a mom-fail thinking they would have rested enough in the car to do more things. I was wrong.

We started fresh on Sunday and fit in ALL THE SIGHTS. We saw:

The Berlin Cathedral

It has a pretty intense history dating back to the 1500's. Basically, churches were built, then re-built, it was hit by bombing during World War II and then rebuilt again. What is there today is pretty much what it has looked like since its completion in 1905. It was damaged due to Allied bombings in World War II. The bells made a beautiful sound.

The Brandenburg Gate from the East side (a view my family members never got to see)...

...and from the West Side

This is the symbol of Germany, representing Unity and Peace. It was built between 1788 and 1791. Four horses pull the chariot of Eirene, the Greek goddess of peace. She originally held an olive wreath, but after Napoleon stole it in 1806, the wreath was replaced with an Iron Cross once returned.

Where Reagan stood when he spoke about tearing down the Wall

The Reichstag Building

 The Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe

There are 2,711 concrete slabs in a 4.7-acre area. It's built near Hitler's bunker which is under a parking lot now.

 Various sections of the original wall like here...

...and here...

This is the Topography of Terrors Museum. t's built in the basement of the Gestapo and SS headquarters building, where prisoners were tortured and executed. It details the repression of the Nazi regime. The building was destroyed by Allied bombings and the rubble of the gates is still there.

...and here (part of the East Side Gallery)

This portion of the original wall stretches a great distance. Top graffiti artists were asked to paint different portions. 

Checkpoint Charlie

This was a crossing point between East and West Berlin that was controlled by Americans. The wall was on the left side running almost directly through the intersection that is there.

St. Mary's Church

The Church was a Catholic church until the Protestant Reformation when it became a Lutheran Protestant Church. A statue of Martin Luther stands in front of it.

The Berlin TV Tower

It was built in the 1960's and was a symbol of both the communist regime and East Berlin.

Kaiser Wilhelm Church

The church was damaged, like many buildings in Berlin, in the Allied bombings. Repairs were made to maintain the structure and a new church was built at the site.

We also drove to the house where my family members lived, which is now diplomatic housing. We saw so many museums, but it wasn't the best choice with three children in tow. Next time. Walking around the city, there was no shortage of things to do. We spent three days there and I feel like there is so much more we could have seen and done.

There were a few cool things we saw:

Like Ampelmannchen 

East Germans used a man in a hat to tell you when to cross and when to wait. There are entire souvenir shops dedicated to him. Apparently the symbol was removed since it was developed by the communists, but demonstrators protested to have it brought back in 2005. Now he is one of the few symbols of East Germany still used.


Statues along bridge


The Neptune Fountain

Statue of Karl Marx and Freidrich Engels

The city was fairly easy to navigate with children and even with strollers. I wore Little T while The Mr. pushed A and N in the stroller (for more on traveling with kids, go here). They girls loved riding around and we were able to fit in things like the aquarium that we knew they'd enjoy.

The drive home was hectic. We hit multiple staus (the German term for traffic jam) and a closed Autobahn. The Mr. kept trying to find routes around, but everyone else was doing the same. At one point I was double-fisting juice boxes and wishing it was wine.

The Mr. finally came up with a route where no one was going. That route just so happened to be a gravel road we probably weren't supposed to be driving down. We can speak enough German to get by, but when it comes to signs, we aren't always great at that. I didn't have any suggestions to improve our situation, so I said, "I hope this pans out!" It was bumpy and hilly, but eventually led to a paved road. We made it back to the Autobahn without anymore issues!

A break at McDonald's was exactly what the kids needed and we plugged them with burgers and fries to get through the final hours of the trip. We were all tired of being in the car by the time we arrived home, but we arrived safely and with some great memories.

The one souvenir I wanted to leave with was a miniature Brandenburg Gate for the kids (I bought one for myself as well). It represents both their trip to Berlin, but also their time in Germany. One day, we can tell them stories about how their PopPop and Grammy and Pappy all lived in Berlin and Mommy wanted to go to see those things. We can tell them that Germany wasn't always a happy place to be, but that the Gate represents unity and peace. Maybe when they're older, they'll make a trip back here to see the sights they don't remember seeing as children.

And maybe, one day, they will let their children come to Berlin.

It just might be turning into a family tradition.