Berlin

Berlin - Reichstag

The original building was completed in 1894 to house the Reichstag, the parliament of the German Empire. In 1916, the words "Dem Deutschen Volke" (To the German People) were added to the facade. A fire in 1933 significantly destroyed the building and not until after the reunification of Germany did the reconstruction begin and then completed in 1999. During the Cold War, the Reichstag was on the West side of the dividing line which ran just behind it by a few feet. Today it is the meeting place of the German parliament.

Berlin - Berlin Cathedral and Palace of the Republic

Berlin Cathedral In the background is the Berlin Cathedral which is also called the Berliner Dom in Germany. It was built by the Protestants after splitting from the Catholic Church and was intended to be the Protestant answer to St. Peter in the Vatican. Prior to this cathedral, which was originally built in 1842, there were other church buildings at this site. During the World War II (on 24 May 1944) it was significantly damaged by Allied bombing and exterior repairs didn't start until 1975. The restoration of the interior started in 1984 and it was reopened in 1993. Palace of the Republic Demolition The remnant of a building in the foreground is the last piece of the Palace of the Republic before total demolition. A few days later, this part was also taken down. Originally built in 1973, the building hosted the Socialist Unity Party and represented the prevailing architecture of the East German government. After German reunification, a decision was made to demolish this primary symbol of the divided Germany. At that time the site was supposed to become a park; however, now the plan is to build a new palace that includes an art museum.

Berlin - Reichstag Dome

This dome sitting atop the Reichstag was designed by British architect Sir Norman Foster and was completed in 1995. It symbolizes the reunification of Germany

Berlin - Inside the Reichstag Dome

There are two separate but intertwined spiral walkways; one for going up, one for going down. In the center, the mirrored cone points to the room below where the German Parliament convenes. The blue color comes from the blue chairs organize in a circular fashion for the members of Parliament.

Berlin - Steel Pillars and Television Tower

In the Marx-Engels Park, four pairs of pillars have images on them showing scenes from the history of the workers' movement. In the background are the Television Tower, a Ferris wheel, and the Berlin Rathaus (Town Hall).

Berlin - Fernsehturm - Television Tower

The Berlin Television Tower is a marvelous architectural accomplishment standing 368 meters high as the 4th tallest structure in Europe. The construction began in 1965 and was completed in 1969 by the former German Democratic Republic and has become the symbol for Berlin. The globe has a visitor platform and a rotating restaurant. There is a stairway with 986 steps from the bottom to the top.

Berlin - Holocaust Memorial - Looking Down

Berlin - Holocaust Memorial Panorama

There are 2711 concrete slabs in total at the memorial arrayed in different heights. While walking around inside the matrix of slabs, I didn't feel lost because each isle is relatively straight and you can see the end in each direction - it does not feel like a maze. However, after taking some photos at a particular location where I took the "Looking Up" images, I wandered away to see if I could find some interesting shadows. Then I had an idea for a slightly different camera setting for the Looking Up images. I tried to find that spot, but I couldn't find it. I tried to remember the shadows, the height of the slabs, but it was pointless. There wasn't any way for me to be sure I was back at the original location. I was lost and along with the general feeling of sadness, the experience was pretty intense.