Wednesday: Jüdisches Museum. Excellent museum. The Nazis and the Holocaust make up only a fraction of the museum, although there is also much discussion about their early-modern persecution and of the rise of anti-Semitism in the modern era. But there are also nice sections on the Jewish influence on Berlin culture at the turn of the twentieth century and on people born into Jewish families since 1945. You start the tour of the museum however on the basement level of the Libeskind Building which is entirely given over to the Holocaust. Within 2 mins I already felt like sobbing.
The Libeskind Building (interior bottom right; exterior right) is both architecturally amazing and sensorially unsettling at every turn.
This is especially true for the Holocaust Tower, a cold, dark, deep and echoing chamber with a skylight at the top) and the Garden of Exile, with its sloping ground and columns (left).I travelled there by bike. It wasn't far - about 10 mins. This was my first attempt at cycling in Berlin, and I have to say it was actually a very pleasant experience. Determined to fit in, I did as all good Berliners do, I occasionally cycled on the pavement even when cycle lanes were provided on the road, and tinkled the bell to warn erstwhile pedestrians that I was hurtling past.
Thursday: Inspired by the new-found freedom of the road, I decided to take the bike out again and navigate Berlin, or at least some parts of it. I cycled, via the canal and Görlitzer Park, to the Eastside Gallery. The gallery basically consists of a long stretch of the Berlin Wall on which artists do their thing. I have to say I wasn't that impressed with the art work on show. I guess I shouldn't complain. I imagine I would find it quite hard to fill a huge, vertical slab of concrete. But then I don't admit to being an artist of any description. Most of the displays were in celebration of the fall of the wall/eastern borders so there was plenty of the obligatory 'peace' symbolism. But there's only so many doves, trees, group-hugs and mother-earths one can take.
The pics are of a few of the more interesting or amusing bits.
After leaving the Wall I rode to Alexander Platz and then home, basically completing a biggish circle. The nice thing about central Berlin, there are practically no hills. I can't be doing with hills (and by my definition, hills include minor inclines), especially on a bike. Will definitely give cycling a go in Manchester. Wait... are there any hills in Manchester????
Saturday: Potsdam. One time home of the Prussian Royal Family and the place where Germany's fate was decided after WWII. Walked around the old town (right: one of the city gates - the Brandenburger, I think) and then into the Sanssouci park and palace.
The whole site is an example of Rococo par excellence. Took an audio tour around Schloss Sanssouci - the summer residence built by Frederick the Great. I have to say, while it was nice to see the chair upon which old Freddy died, I think Schloss Charlottenburg in Berlin is much more breathtaking. What look like grey oversized bird boxes/viewing huts are I think protection for sculptures while they're being restored.
Today: 'Behind the Iron Curtain. The Art of Socialist Realism'.
This is an exhibit of 300 works from the former Soviet Union produced between the 1930s and the 1980s. Plenty of idyllic rural scenes, marches, and historical moments. Women feature quite heavily in a lot of the paintings, as does Lenin, or at least someone who looks a lot like him. Not entirely sure it's my cup of tea, especially when you start thinking of the probable harsh realities behind many of the 'happy' scenes, and of those artists whose work was banned during this period, but it was interesting to view it close up.
This one reminds me a bit of the shot of the milkman making his way through blitzed London.
The Observer reviewed the exhibition in October: http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2009/oct/25/soviet-art-painting-berlin-exhibition
On the domestic front: The flat appears to be falling apart. First, on Thursday, the neighbour below comes up to tell us that water from our bathroom is pouring through his ceiling. This gets fixed by lunchtime the next day. Then on Friday, the heating packs up. This is ostensibly fixed by the man who oversees the entire apartment building (a big, round, grumpy Berliner with a dislike of English men it appears, so it's a good job I'm a woman he says). The problem, a lack of water in the system and a blown fuse. However, the next morning I wake to find the fuse blown again. I reset the switch only to then discover a distinct electrical hissing noise and smell of burning plastic emanating from below the kitchen sink. Fuse is switched back off again promptly. I left my flatmates (who speak very good German) to sort this out. I had a trip planned to Potsdam afterall, and I can't very well communicate with an electrician. I'm tired of having to smile and explain "Ich spreche nur ein bisschen deutsch". I returned in the evening to find them both out and the boiler still broken. Brrrrrr!!! Oh yes, the fuse for the boiler is also the one for the fridge and the washing machine! This morning we investigated a little further and found that the socket extension in which all the necessary plugs sit was completely burnt out. Extension socket now replaced and all seems to working fine, touch wood.
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