Berlin. I am older so I remember the fear or determination put into Americans or at least my generation to not let Communism (with Berlin being the showpiece) win. I remember being told how bad Communism was and I remember the television showing the horror of people trying to get free from East Berlin. My most vivid memories are a woman caught in the barbed wire trying to get free then two soldiers pulling her out and taking her back; as well as, the beautiful day the wall came down, what a picture (still brings tears to my eyes). I cannot express the pain and joy I have here remembering what I saw as a young person and what I have learned now staying with Mandi's friends. They have such a wealth of knowledge and a gracious spirit of hospitality. I have learned from them that they have been taught to never repeat such atrocities and the struggle the city has had rebuilding. They still have plastic up close to the Sony Center that looks like a building but is just a picture of a building that will someday be there. Most of the city is new and rebuilt but there are some remnants of what was. For example, where the wall stood (Brandenburg Gate, at least in one place) there now a busy road/intersection but they have placed brick in the road signifying where the wall was. We even found a plate showing the dates of when the wall came down. The memorial Mandi talked about is brilliant. The stones are about the shape of a grave but have different heights from up to my knee to well over my head (I would say it could signify time or age) the space between each stone is the same but the pathway also has different heights (hilly maybe). We were there at night so it was difficult to get a good picture but I think it had more impact on me because of the dark. There was a second monument earlier in the day for the Jewish children who were taken by train to their death with fresh flowers placed on it. Berlin has a massive park where they gather for big events with a centerpiece, the Teirgarden or victory tower, this monument still has bullet holes from the war to remind the German people to not repeat history. A Russian monument with fresh flowers was not to far from Brandenburg Gate to honor the almost 20,000* soldiers lost in WWII. I did enjoy the etched picture of President Regan in the sidewalk quoting "...tear down this wall." Great memories of freedom. I have always loved my country maybe not always what actions she has taken or even what it seems she is becoming but history is written by the victor and I for one am again grateful for being the victor. Now, with that said I am also grateful for those who have lost with integrity. It takes a good person/country to admit they are wrong but it is a great person/country to try to fix what they have done wrong. From what I have learned Germany has made huge efforts to not make the same mistakes and that is worth noticing. If Maria and Bjorn are examples of what Germans are or have become I pray for the day they can hold their heads high and have the past be the past.
On a side note, Maria took Mandi and I out to shop for supplies we both needed. For example, shoes, reusable hand warmers, thermal wool underwear, wool socks and so on. I am happy to be warm and I am sure Mandi is happy to not have to reapply duct tape to her shoes. =o)
Lots of Love from Berlin
Ana
*correction - the Soviet Union lost an estimated 8,800,000 - 10,700,000 soldiers in WW2
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