Broken Blossoming Berlin

In the Fall of 2023, I convinced Ramón to go to Berlin, Germany with me, even though at that time, we had just returned from México.c The reason for my asking of one more international trip that year was for the Pergamonmuseum. The Pergamonmuseum (in English, the same name but two words) was to be closed, either in full or parts, until 2037 for renovations! This was a museum on my bucket list for a while due to its spectacular monuments housed within. Special pieces include the Pergamon Altar, the Ishtar Gate, and other fascinating pieces from ancient Greece, Rome, and the Near East. However, while I had my eyes set on the museum and the surrounding area, my eyes were opened to the dual personality of the city. Below is a poetic attempt to explain what I experienced.

Four days to explore the city.
What seemed like a streamlined, bucket list itinerary slowly
evolved into a walk through history we had only
heard, thought of, but couldn’t quite fathom we would experience an ounce of
in the modern streets of Berlin, Germany.

German words buzzed through the air as we
beelined to our hotel.
Slightly sleepy from a red eye
but eager for food and exploration.

We are off to the races
a simple breakfast under our belts
a walk to Museum Island between tram lines
and the steps up to the Pergamonmuseum entrance.

Unfortunately, the altar is already
closed off for renovations.
but the parade of brick lions
and bright blue gates of Ishtar
make us forget what we will miss.
We gaze towards the Market Gate of Miletus
and later feast on schnitzel and,
cheers with a beer and a radler,
and discuss the marvels of the museum.
Only a fraction of everything we have yet to see.

We are ready to walk the city,
letting our feet guide us and create a cognotive map.
Deeper and deeper we explore
and it is at this point
within an open green field, a dusty grey/blue sky
I am haunted by Berlin’s past.

Goosebumps travel up my arms
and I feel the need to escape.
A luscious park cannot distract us from
the exit back to the hotel where
we are met with memorials of
the people persecuted in the Holocaust.
Slowly walking through,
reading plaque after plaque,
I am reminded that yes,
we are in modern Berlin
but it does not abolish Germany’s past.

That evening we go over to a German bar
to share pints of beer and delectable
sausage and pepper soup.
Laughter and noise clouds the air
but does not drown out the whispers of the past
lingering from the day.
I wonder, what will happen next?

Days are marathons between
visits to the Ägyptisches Museum, Altes Museum,
Checkpoint Charlie, the Humbolt Forum,
and fragments of the Berlin Wall.
They are juxtaposed by
indents from bombs in standing buildings,
a former dividing line in the ground,
and numerous memorials.
A city filled with
ancient history and neo-baroque marvels also saw
persecution and division in its recent past.
The city once two still lingers on
as we take a step from the east to the west.

A visit to the Gemäldegalerie,
home to famous European paintings from
Vermeer, Caravaggio, Titian, and more,
was already opening our minds before
we even stepped foot in the gallery entrance.
A walk to the gallery
through the historic Brandenburg Gate
led us through a space filled with rising
black pillars of stone…
the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe.
A solemn place for rememberance,
highlighting the destruction of WWII,
could not leave my mind as moments later we
wandered past Poussins and Dürers later on.

Schnitzel, sausages, pretzels and beer along the
Spree River with glittering lights
strung above us did not hide
but rather illuminated fragments of the Berlin Wall.
Every turn I make, I question
“How does a city attempt to begin again
after such horrors and division?”
“How do you bring together
a city divided post-WWII
through the Cold War and
git add become one again?”

The key is rememberance and growth.
Shared stories, advances in art history, and
decorated pieces of a broken wall
call Berliners and visitors to examine
Berlin and German history.
In the moment, remember what has happend and
simultaneously help foster a culture
promoting peace.

To this day, I can still feel chills when remembering where I stood in specific spots of Berlin. I can also recall how much in awe I was from the art, architecture, food and the kind people. My recollection of my time in Berlin is not to deter readers, like yourself, from visiting the city. Rather, I challenge you to visit a city that constantly battles its history, as well as remembers its past, attempting to build a brighter future. Visit Berlin, not just for the history lessons or discoteques, but as inspiration for how we may overcome and work through our dark histories.

Thank you for reading this blog. I know this one is a tad darker than my usual posts. However, this trip needed to be recorded in some fashion. Please stay tuned for the next blog.

Until next time.