As the title of this TR indicates we were in Germany to attend a reunion. Obviously I will not go into that too greatly but will post photos of some of the activities.
The meals etc were held at an old church building in Alte Pankow in what was once East Berlin
My wife and the German family crest dating back to around the 15th C.
Some of the attendees on top of the Humboldt Forum
On one of the days there was a walking tour of Berlin with local guides - there were actually two tours one for the English speakers and a separate one for the German speakers
This building dates to 1899 and is on Friederichstrasse one block from Unter Den Linden
The Bavarian State Representation Office
Gendarmenmarkt
The Humboldt Forum opened in 2021. This building has been a source of much controversy in Berlin. It stands on what had been the site of the Berlin Royal Palace. The Palace was badly damaged during WW2 but was apparently reasonably easily restorable. Unfortunately it was in the Soviet Zone so it was instead demolished, with copious use of dynamite, in 1950. In the 1970's the DDR built the Palace of the Republic (Peoples Palace) there. Then after reunification the Peoples Palace was demolished - supposedly because it was full of Asbestos.
Then it was decided to reconstruct the facade of the Imperial Palace incorporating some remnants that had been recovered. Many of the former inhabitants of East Berlin were angered by this decision saying that their history was being demolished. In Dresden there is a sort of 'sister' building which has been retained and is now an interesting part of that city. The new building attracts very divided opinions. To quote the Guardian article it is "Like an imposing Disneyland castle minus the fun". I discussed the new building with the reunion organiser who lives in Hannover and he was not impressed with it. While our tour guide who had lived in West Berlin during the days of the divide was very content with the project as he has nothing but bad memories of the DDR. Personally I didn't like it. The craftsmanship involved is undeniable but it looks like a strange icy pastiche of a building that does not come together as a whole. The concrete facade on the Spree-side would have been thoroughly approved of by the two different but similar ruling parties if built between 1932 and 1989. But it is not my city or country so they can do as they wish.
A cross between a Disneyland castle and a chilling concrete block, the Humboldt Forum is set to teach visitors about Germany’s colonial era. But is the past being examined – or exalted?
www.theguardian.com
en.wikipedia.org
en.wikipedia.org
The 'darker' materials on the facade are original components of the Royal Palace
One of the two internal courtyards
Inside the forum
