Berlin in early September
I took part in a conference there last weekend, which took place next to one of the Berlin VIP of Arts cemeteries and it so happened that September 3rd was also open door day for the Reichstag, our Parliament which I had not had the chance to visit post spectacular Norman Foster restoration, so between conferencing, I visited both. Pic spam time!
Because of all the sitting around during a conference, I took an early morning walk along the river Spree which goes through Berlin. This is the Bode museum:
A great many museums on the so called "Museum island" in the middle of the Spree, the most famous of which is the one hosting the Pergamon altar (currently under renovation), whereas the one with Nefertiti, the Neues Museum, is open to the public.
Also on the river spree: the "Berliner Ensemble", the famous theatre which was given to Brecht when he returned to Germany post WW II. There's a Brecht sculpture in front of it.
Our conference took place near Brecht's old apartments, which is also where you'll find the Dorotheenstädter Friedhof, the cemetery where a great many writers, philosophers and other artists were buried, most famously, again, Brecht. The cemetery in question:
The burial place of Helene Weigel, actress (the original Mother Courage), manager and Brecht's formidable second wife, Brecht himselfl, and Hanne Hiob, his daughter from his first marriage:
At the other end of the cemetery - according to gossip, Helene Weigel insisted, but again, that's gossip - there are two of Brecht's most important co-workers and mistresses, Elisabeth Hauptmann and Ruth Berlau. Elisabeth Hauptmann co-wrote several of the Brecht/Weill plays, including the Three Penny Opera, and Ruth Berlau shot most of the photos of Brecht during his exile time you've seen:
Also (re)buried here: Heinrich Mann, who was first buried where he died, in Santa Monica together with his wife Nelly, but a decade later was shipped over to East Germany. It took them some more decades to remember poor Nelly, though. But now they're together again:
Another of the exiles who returned to Germany post WWII: Anna Seghers, author of "The Seventh Cross", and her husband:
Still on a returned exiles theme: Hans Eisler, who became Brecht's favorite composer to work with after the releationship with Kurt Weill had broken down, and who infamously became a chief target of the UnAmerican Activities comitee, and George Tabori:
Herbert Marcuse (of Frankfurt School and students-with-a-grudge-for-having-to-read-this fame) and John Heartfield (if you've seen the satiric famous photo montages of Hitler from the 1930s, chances are John Heartfield created them:
And lastly, two philosophical VIPs from centuries past, Fichte and Hegel:
Now, on to the Reichstag, hosting our parliament, the Bundestag, once more post reunification.
A modell inside showing the famous Norman Foster added cuppola:
When you enter, you read this dedication:
The Reichstag infamously was set on fire most likely by the Nazis right at the start of their regime in 1933 (the last session of the parliament, the one where the SPD was the only party voting against making Hitler dictator, took place in the opera for that reason), but that didn't stop it from being seen as the symbol of the enemy by the Soviet soldiers arriving there in 1945. Their graffiti was left there, as it's a part of history:
The core room:
It being open door day, you could go up to the cuppola for free, and it was so worth it.
Because of the panorama of all sides, of course. This is the view in the direction of the Tiergarten, the oldest city park which was already made one in the 18th century:
The least famous panorama:
Though if you move to the endn of it, you have a lovely view of the Brandenburg Gate:
Of all the panoramas, this one is the one with the most famous sights other than the Reichtag itself:
Close-up of the cathedral:
And here's the central building of one of the oldest Berlin hospitals, founded in the 18th century by mildred_of_midgard's least favourite person, King Friedrich Wilhelm I, the Charité:
Have a final look:
And that's a wrap for today!
Because of all the sitting around during a conference, I took an early morning walk along the river Spree which goes through Berlin. This is the Bode museum:
A great many museums on the so called "Museum island" in the middle of the Spree, the most famous of which is the one hosting the Pergamon altar (currently under renovation), whereas the one with Nefertiti, the Neues Museum, is open to the public.
Also on the river spree: the "Berliner Ensemble", the famous theatre which was given to Brecht when he returned to Germany post WW II. There's a Brecht sculpture in front of it.
Our conference took place near Brecht's old apartments, which is also where you'll find the Dorotheenstädter Friedhof, the cemetery where a great many writers, philosophers and other artists were buried, most famously, again, Brecht. The cemetery in question:
The burial place of Helene Weigel, actress (the original Mother Courage), manager and Brecht's formidable second wife, Brecht himselfl, and Hanne Hiob, his daughter from his first marriage:
At the other end of the cemetery - according to gossip, Helene Weigel insisted, but again, that's gossip - there are two of Brecht's most important co-workers and mistresses, Elisabeth Hauptmann and Ruth Berlau. Elisabeth Hauptmann co-wrote several of the Brecht/Weill plays, including the Three Penny Opera, and Ruth Berlau shot most of the photos of Brecht during his exile time you've seen:
Also (re)buried here: Heinrich Mann, who was first buried where he died, in Santa Monica together with his wife Nelly, but a decade later was shipped over to East Germany. It took them some more decades to remember poor Nelly, though. But now they're together again:
Another of the exiles who returned to Germany post WWII: Anna Seghers, author of "The Seventh Cross", and her husband:
Still on a returned exiles theme: Hans Eisler, who became Brecht's favorite composer to work with after the releationship with Kurt Weill had broken down, and who infamously became a chief target of the UnAmerican Activities comitee, and George Tabori:
Herbert Marcuse (of Frankfurt School and students-with-a-grudge-for-having-to-read-this fame) and John Heartfield (if you've seen the satiric famous photo montages of Hitler from the 1930s, chances are John Heartfield created them:
And lastly, two philosophical VIPs from centuries past, Fichte and Hegel:
Now, on to the Reichstag, hosting our parliament, the Bundestag, once more post reunification.
A modell inside showing the famous Norman Foster added cuppola:
When you enter, you read this dedication:
The Reichstag infamously was set on fire most likely by the Nazis right at the start of their regime in 1933 (the last session of the parliament, the one where the SPD was the only party voting against making Hitler dictator, took place in the opera for that reason), but that didn't stop it from being seen as the symbol of the enemy by the Soviet soldiers arriving there in 1945. Their graffiti was left there, as it's a part of history:
The core room:
It being open door day, you could go up to the cuppola for free, and it was so worth it.
Because of the panorama of all sides, of course. This is the view in the direction of the Tiergarten, the oldest city park which was already made one in the 18th century:
The least famous panorama:
Though if you move to the endn of it, you have a lovely view of the Brandenburg Gate:
Of all the panoramas, this one is the one with the most famous sights other than the Reichtag itself:
Close-up of the cathedral:
And here's the central building of one of the oldest Berlin hospitals, founded in the 18th century by mildred_of_midgard's least favourite person, King Friedrich Wilhelm I, the Charité:
Have a final look:
And that's a wrap for today!