Berlin & German Baltic Sea, 24. – 28. 12. 2014

A short Christmas break was enough to drive north and experience winter spirit of Berlin and German Baltic sea coast.

Beside traditional tourist attractions some relatively new heritage sites can be visited in Berlin. Since 2012, an immersive panorama (15 x 60 m) of the Berlin Wall stands at Checkpoint Charlie, one of the most recognisable crossing point from the East to the West Berlin during the Cold War. The installation is created by the artist Yadegar Asisi who during the 1980s lived in Kreuzberg close to the wall. Within the construction, photographic, video and audio material is exhibited. Numerous marker pens encourage visitors to participate and leave their notes on the walls placed at the exhibition hall. In addition to this fascinating panorama of the Berlin Wall, Asisi (will) set up similar panoramas as well in other German cities: Leipzig 1813, Dresden 1945.

Close to the panorama the Trabi World is situated. The first museum in Berlin dedicated to Trabant, most common car in East Germany hiding something else. I was really surprised to see a large composition of the K67 kiosk. In the same period as Trabant, this Slovenian design icon was installed on the streets in former Yugoslavia as well in Eastern Europe. More about the kiosk can be found at my dissertation page.

The Topography of Terror is another new interpretation center. This historical museum on Nazi era is situated at the place of the former headquarters of the Gestapo and the SS. Some ruins of prison cells can still be seen.

However, Berlin has a long list of sites, but if you are short with time these can not be ignored: Brandenburg Gate, Alexanderplatz, Museumsinsel, East Side Gallery, Sony Center, Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe and Tempelhof Airport. For a one day trip even German Baltic sea coast with Rostock and fairy-tale villages in the east are within reach.

More photos can be seen at my personal Facebook page.

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