"Ich bin ein Berliner - JF Kennedy 26th... " a Berlin Travel Page by Angelal

I stayed at a small Hotel called the Tiergarten which is centrally located and a short walk from the underground. The rooms are clean although a little bit dark, my room had a TV, mini bar and private bathroom. Breakfast is included and consists of the usual Salamis, cold meats and eggs.

Berlin is a fascinating place, I did find it a little depressing although I don't think that they grey, cold wet weather particularly helped as well as the sites that I was visiting.

Berlin was my first ever trip to Germany, I had always wanted to visit partly because of my interest in the Second World War and the Jewish Holocaust.


One of my first visits was to Daniel Libeskind's New Jewish Museum. Before the Second World war Berlin had a thriving Jewish community. The tragedy of the Holocaust is conveyed through the Architecture. They is one room there that is really small with a exceptionally high ceiling, the room is in darkness except for a ray of light that shines down from a slit in the roof. It is icy cold and is supposed to portray the sense of isolation and fear that the Jews experienced during this time.

My next visit was to the New Jewish Synagogue. This was originally build in the 1860's, damaged during the raids on Kristallnacht, damaged by Allied bombs, demolished in part in the 50's before being restored in the 80's. You can either visit the synagogue independently or have a guided tour. The Synagogue explains in detail the life of Berlins Jews before the war, through photos and other memorabilia. They are also various religious items from the time such as Prayer shawls, the Torah and information in regards to Religious rituals etc. There is also information re the past Rabbis of the synagogue, prominent Jewish families of Berlin and personal stories of individuals effected by the holocaust. I would strongly recommend a visit here but you do leave with a real sense of sadness for people that lost their lives and the destroyed community.

On the last day I took a train and a bus to the Mansion House that hosted the Wansee Conference on the outskirts of Berlin. The house is located on quiet street next to a lake. This is where the plans were put in place for 'The Final Solution', the deportation of Europe's Jews to the east to be exterminated. The House is a museum which describes events before the conference and the events that followed, right up to the liberation of the Concentration camps. You can also view the room where the meeting took place. The exhibition is well laid our and informative of this very sensitive and tragic piece of history.

A visit to Berlin wouldn't be complete without a visit to Checkpoint Charlie and the Museum House that is next to it. This gives you the full history of the Wall and stories of those that tried to escape their lives behind the iron curtain. If you visit Berlin you MUST visit here!

I enjoyed my trip to Berlin but if I were to return I would like to experience the vibrancy of the city and its people and Berlins future as opposed to its very sad past.