July 16, 2008 - Berlin

We land at Warnemunde on the northern coast of Germany. Our ticket says 0715 show time. We go to breakfast at 0600 and find the lines at the buffet to be 15 deep. After the wave of humanity, we sit and are still OK. Then the PA informs that our tour is boarding - at 0645. We again scurry. This tour includes a 2.5 hour train ride each way. Our cabin includes six seats. A Phillipine couple (both doctors; very interesting) and their friend join us.

The Germans are very efficient. The train is clean and prompt. A boxed snack is waiting. Our escort, Katarina, will guide us throught the upcoming maze. The ride starts with fog and light rain. Most nap, some wander to the dining car for a coffee and a danish. We arrive in east Berlin at 0950 and are greated with a dry and slightly overcast day with temps in the 50's. Our group is met by a new Mercedes bus and our tour guide, Anika. She is very dedicated to her task and completely knowledgeable.

The bus slowly winds through city streets, we learn that the political and geographical East Berlin is just now catching up with the West. Our first stop is the remains of the Wall. This one mile section of the original Wall is 'Protected' (from people breaking off pieces for soveniers) and has been completely painted by artists to illustrate the inequitues and desparation of the German People during the Russian occupation after WWII. It is also, our inaugration to the 'dead zone'.

After WWII, Germany was divided into 4 regions. Russia was the first to enter Berlin and caused the final defeat of the Nazi's. Russia claimed a 30% larger share of the divided Germany as after war reparations and control. The balance of the country was controlled by the Allies of France, Britian and the USA. Berlin became an island surrounded by the Russion Sector and was further divided into 4 sections. As the after war political environments were developed, the Russian sectors of both Gemany and Berlin became the areas not to live in. Russia quickly attempted to flex its power be blockading Berlin from the Allies. The US responded with the infamous 'Berlin Airlift'. An uneasy truce ensued and more German people left Russian control for the Western areas. Through the 1950's the economy of the Russian controlled area sank while the West prospered. Russian architecture and construction techniques were the standard. Wide avenues for parades were constructed down main streets. Today these remnants are used as greenbelt areas for the surrounding neighborhoods. There was a constant flow of refugees attempting to leave East Berlin. Finally, August 13, 1961, Russia closed the escape routes with first troops and barbed wire and then the first of three walls, basically imprisioning 3 million residents.

The first Wall, pieces of which are the only remaining remnants, was a 3.4 meter (10 feet) tall solid concrete and rebar baracade with a rounded top. Eventually the Wall completely surrounded the Allied sector of Berlin, effectively closing all routes into Berlin. The Wall was further extended at the western borders of the Russian controlled divided Germany. In all, there was 800 miles of barrier erected.

Finally, an additinal 1/2 mile area behind the original wall, was completely cleared and fortified to prevent any breach. This 'Dead Zone' was fortified with 305 guard towers, 20,000 East German soldiers with machine guns, land mines, dogs, and barbed razor wire to imprison the East Berlin population. Buildings near the Dead Zone had their windows mortered over; those situated within the Dead Zone, were demolished. As desparation grew, the German people attempted many bizarre forms of escape. More than 1,300 people are documented to have been killed trying to cross the Wall, both in Germany and Berlin.

After 28 years, the Cold War thawed enough to allow the wall to open. This was, for the most part, the result of Hungay and Austria opening their border crossings, the US Presidnt Ronald Reagan stating "Premier Kruschev, Take down this wall" and the will of the German people pushing for the destruction of the Wall. On November 9, 1989 an East German burocrat reading a prepared text, stated that East Berliners could now travel anywhere they desired. When asked the effective date, which was not in the text, he hesitated and said "Immediately, I guess ". This simple statement resulted in 2 million crossings that weekend, alone. Jubilent crowds entered the former dead zones and tore the wall down with their bare hands. As the Russians withdrew, the German people reunited their state and Berlin, again became the capital. The Brandenberg Gate which for 28 years was locked in the middle of the dead zone was overrun amid a huge party of joyfull Berliners. In an effort to restore some history of a city that was 90% destroyed by war, the Berliners used the original bricks to rebuild the facades of structures the way they once looked. The interiors are new, and modernized. This juxtaposition is truly the overall theme of present day Berlin; remember and rebuild. The now vacant Dead Zone is prime real estate for redevelopment. Most areas are still vacant and are used as green belts. Some are memorials of old church's and other significant structures that still bear the scars of the tyranical forced occupation. the city center is being rebuit. Mercedes and Sony teamed to build 9 high rises and turned one area into a modern gathering are. By law new construction must be no more than 50% commercial and no less than 30% residential. This ensures that the new areas will not close after the work day. This new area completely surrounds the one and only structure that escaped the WWII bombing, the quaint 'Hut Hous' hotel.

We visited the famous "Checkpoint Charlie", Brandenberg Gate, the Bebel Platz where the Nazis ordered thousands of books burned, the Holocaust Memorial, and many other churches and palaces. We had a buffet lunch at a typical German Pub. We were allowed an hour of shopping at a mall; a multi story building with many strange shops. .

Then we bussed to a different train station, in the northern part of Berlin. We talked with our train companions all the way back to the ship. The train dropped us right across the street from the ship. We scurried on at 9:30pm. Just before 11:00pm, we were treated with a wonderful fireworks show from the people of Warnemunde, as we motored out from the dock.Berlin cannot escape the Nazi connection. Most locals try to overlook the stigma. The tourists are paying for the continued growth and the people of Berlin attempt to put on a happy face. It is apparant that they would all like to erase the memories and proceed into the future.

Berlin cannot escape the Nazi connection. Most locals try to overlook the stigma. The tourists are paying for the continued growth and the people of Berlin attempt to put on a happy face. It is apparant that they would all like to erase the memories and proceed into the future.

Personal note from Deb: My mother and I visited Berlin in April 1989. We talked to 2 young men at a gated, fenced in area about the news in America. We told them that talks were underway to tear down the wall and allow their freedom to travel; they did not believe us. They told us they had relatives that they had not seen for many years. I realize now, that the desolate area we were looking into, was the "dead zone". We drove out of Berlin that day, with such heavy hearts; struck mostly by the sad faces of a people without hope. How different I feel today, seeing the renewal of this city and it's people. On our first stop today, I reached out for a very emotional touch of the remaining remnant of The Wall; my eyes filled quickly with tears (as I write this, I cannot stop the outpouring, again). I only wish Vonnie could be with us, to share in the joy.