Start Date: 27/05/2010
End Date: 30/05/2010
Page Last Updated: 07/06/2010

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3.00am on Friday – time to start the airlift to Berlin to meet our twin, the Pirmasens club (or should that be triplet taking account of Aalborg?). Even through the sleepy blur, it is extraordinary how busy Luton airport is at 4.30 a.m. - so many cheerful zombies!  Easyjet was on time and the six of us who braved the early start (nine had “sensibly, if extravagantly, opted for the day before”) arrived in Berlin Schoenfeld airport at 8.40.  Andrew & Denise Cowling and Peter & Ann Davies were expecting a bus to take us to the hotel. They would still have been at the airport if I had not explained that we were supposed to make our own way!

Arrived at Maritim Hotel, a large and expensive looking hotel at 9.40 but no sign of the rest of the party – apparently they were still at breakfast! After checking in, we went to indulge in German traditional coffee and cake in a café in the Sony Centre, an impressive modern complex in Potsdamer Platz. (Note for future, do not rely on Peter Davies for directional skills!) Strolled back through the Tiergarten (wonderful rhododendrons, a handkerchief tree and a red squirrel) to rendezvous with the other 35 members of the joint party at the hotel.  Many familiar faces, Germans included, and a welcoming glass of fizz.  Harald Jenet, the Pirmasens’ President, formally welcomed us in English, and President Lesley responded – in English!!

In the afternoon, we embarked on a walking tour of “the heart of Berlin” – first stop, the Sony Centre!  On into Potsdamer Platz and our first piece of the old Berlin Wall.  Nearby were a couple of “East German guards” who would stamp your passport to note your entry into East Berlin (for a small fee no doubt), an offer we declined, since it might have made it difficult to get back into the UK!  Next stop was the Holocaust Memorial, a large, seemingly flat area, covered in grey concrete blocks.  We were encouraged to walk through it and it became a labyrinth of passages between the blocks, in the centre over 3m tall.  The architect’s aim is for the visitor to understand the enormity and horror of the holocaust – and it was effective.  We regrouped on the other side and went to the information centre below the memorial.  This contained an edifying pictorial and descriptive commentary of the Holocaust, including a darkened room with illuminated panels on the floor containing various quotes and diary extracts from victims.  Whilst extremely thought provoking, I found it a little sanitised and not nearly as disturbing as the Holocaust Museum in Washington – an utterly absorbing place to visit if you have a few hours in the US capital.

On then to the Brandenburg Gate, crowded with tourists, past the Reichstag (see later), and down alongside the River Spree to board the Charlottensburg for a river trip.  By now it was drizzling so we opted for the seats inside.  The fact there was a bar was not, of course, part of the decision making!  However, when in Rome, or its Germanic equivalent, a doughty few enjoyed Berliner Kindl Weiss mit Schuß – a beer with raspberry syrup served in a dumpy glass with a straw – which was surprisingly nice!!

Up and down the river for an hour gave us the opportunity for good fellowship (possibly helped by the beer) and views of some fascinating architecture. None was more so than the “Washing Machine” - the residence (I think a bit lost in the translation since it seemed more the official HQ) of the Chancellor, Angela Merkel.  Built by Herr Kohl, her predecessor (who was voted out before he could occupy it!), it seemed to comprise a huge concrete cube with circular blocks of windows in the sides.  I expect Clive Fowler can explain it more succinctly!  On the return journey as we repassed it, we were impressed that Michael Pearson had arranged a fly past by Angela’s helicopter!

Off the boat and into Standige Vertretung, an extraordinary pub/restaurant, covered in photographs of politicos from Germany past and present.  Under the watchful eyes of Erich Honecker, we enjoyed potato soup (with or without black pudding) and a choice of pig or pig (gammon or pickled pork in aspic!). After the Holocaust memorial, this seemed a trifle incongruous.  Lesley managed to get a fish dish, but was horrified that the soup was made with ham stock (what else).  Our German friends suggested she closed her eyes and thought of England – a not overly considerate response!  Never mind, a few beers and we were relaxed.

Onward to the Friedrichstadt Palast, an old East German theatre refurbished in recent years and reputedly housing the largest stage in Europe - and quite possibly it was!  We were largely entertained by a variety, cum Eurovision song show, with the highlights being the unbelievable trapeze artists and the amazing pair of Russian acrobats who had balance and strength we could only marvel at.  It was a pity about the faux Elvis impersonator, who with his wife, proved both unfunny and poor singers as the filler between acts.

After nineteen hours on the go, we were starting to flag and Elspeth and I joined the party experiencing a short trip on the S Bahn, one of the two underground systems, rather than walk back to the hotel.  Harald was embarrassed by the surprising lack of German efficiency when the ticket machine broke down, but we enjoyed the two-stop journey in a clean and spacious train.

Whilst most regrouped in the Sony Centre for a final drink, we gave our apologies and left for a good night’s sleep.  And that was only Day One!!

Day Two – bright and sunny as we headed down to breakfast.  The advance party had forewarned us that it was something special – indeed it can only be described as a breakfeast.  The buffet contained almost anything one might ever want and a few things you would probably not want!  Peter Davies returned to our table with a selection of fruits and a challenge to identify them (dragon fruit, cactus fig and tamarillo).

More than an hour later, we dragged ourselves down to the bus for a guided tour of the Third Reich architecture. This may sound frightfully dull (sorry Clive) but it certainly was not.  Nazi style building is very imposing, if stark, and our guide on the bus explained much about Hitler’s plans for world domination and demonstration of power through grandiose structures.  The Olympic Stadium, built for the 1936 games, was erected speedily but is still a magnificent sight.  Although it has been refurbished, it remains redolent of the Coliseum and we were reminded that had Hitler succeeded in his global power aspirations, it would have been the site for all future Olympics!  It is currently home to the Berlin football team, which is sadly now in the second division of the Bundesleague.  Our guide also showed and explained the plans Hitler made (with the help of his architect Albert Speer) for Germania, a complex of enormous scale to demonstrate the power of Germany and enforce the ego of its leader.  Work had in fact started with areas being cleared in readiness, yet these plans are still largely unknown to most Germans.

We then drove down to Tempelhof airfield, another example of grand scale Nazi building.  It later became the doorway to West Germany and the focus of the Berlin airlift before the partition became complete.

Driving back north toward central Berlin, we passed the old Gestapo headquarters, again a vast building, which doubtless could tell many a gruesome story.

Lunch was at Umspannwerk Ost, a restaurant in an old transformer building in East Berlin.  Graham Mortimer was in his element.  Anything with asparagus seemed to be the menu.

In the afternoon, we split into two groups on national lines for a walk around the south east of former East Berlin.  Our guide was a former East German and was earnest and passionate in educating us on life in East Berlin over the past fifty years.  The legacy of the Eastern Bloc is clear to see and the totalitarian style of building remains in many places.  The cost of living in East Berlin remains lower than West still and we were staggered to hear that Berlin is €60m in debt, but unemployment has fallen from 20% to 14%.  We were also reminded of Willy Brandt’s wonderful quote during the crisis when he said “I would rather have the whole of one half than half of the whole”. We ended the walk at the East Side Gallery, where a long section of the Wall remains and has been painted by various artists.

Elspeth and I chose not to head back to the hotel and took the S Bahn to Hackescher Markt – a bustling area near one of the main shopping malls.  We walked along by the Neue Synagogue instead, over the river by the Island of Museums, through a flea market (Elspeth was itching to buy something!) and onto Unter den Linden, a well-known main thoroughfare in Berlin.  We had planned to get the S Bahn at Unter den Linden station but were confused by the fact it has changed its name to Brandenburg Tor!  We made it back to Maritim in time for a rest before the next part of the itinerary.

7.30 was the gathering for the gala dinner arranged in the hotel for us by our Pirmasens hosts.  Although sadly we were in the main restaurant in a slightly odd arrangement of tables, Rotarian friendship meant a very sociable meal with a generous quantity of wine and fairly high volume conversation putting the world to right!  We adjourned to a corner of the breakfast restaurant for another glass of fizz and short speeches from Harald and Lesley.  Michael Pearson then said a few words about the joint Kiev initiative the two clubs had embarked on six years previously, following the dinner in Northampton Guildhall, and informed us that it was almost at fruition!  He hoped that many members of both clubs would make the trip to Kiev in the autumn to mark the inauguration.

Day Three – cloudy again. Harald had advised us the previous night that we needed to leave the hotel at 9.00, so it was a relatively early start to make sure we gave breakfast due justice!  Remarkably for 45 Rotarians, we left before 9.15!  We walked up through the Tiergarten towards the Reichstag, being delayed on route by a cycling “Velothon” taking place in Berlin.  The loud music we were told was the German Eurovision Song Contest entry, which had won the night before.  The British result was quietly forgotten!  We stopped outside the Chancellor’s residence (the aforementioned Washing Machine) which seemed less weird closer to. Then we walked past the government buildings to the Reichstag, the Parliament building which was rebuilt by Sir Norman Foster (later Lord Foster).  Again we split on national lines and our guide took us round explaining the rationale behind Foster’s work and we all marvelled at the way he had interwoven the modern with the old.  One bit he got wrong: he included two large meeting rooms for the two main political parties and smaller rooms for the rest – a little like here, the two party system has waned and it has become necessary to combine three small rooms for the third largest party.  The whole building is light and airy, particularly the main chamber which can be seen into from all around (within the building, not from the outside!).

Atop the Reichstag is a large glass dome which was not part of Foster’s winning design, but which he was persuaded to include when it was a favourite part of other entries.  It has a spiral ramp running around its inside surface, which we walked up, to obtain magnificent views from the top.

Leaving the Reichstag, we walked down to Unter den Linden and had a light lunch in a café in an area used by one of the television studios to broadcast talk and news chat shows.  Here we said our goodbyes to our German hosts who had an earlier flight back home.

Michael Pearson assumed the role of tour guide and we headed up Unter den Linden to the cathedral.  This proved spectacular and a few of us ascended the cupola for the tremendous views over Berlin.  On the way down, an organ recital began which gave a special aura to the visit.  A stroll down to Gendarmen Markt resulted in a coffee and cake stop for most whilst Elspeth and I headed on down to Checkpoint Charlie.  This has become a rather tacky tourist spot, but there is some information and picture displays on the hoardings nearby, which gave us a strong flavour of the dramatic events in the 1960s.  After a meal, it was time to return to the hotel and then for the trudge home.

There is little doubt that the weekend was a great success on many levels.  Of course, the main reason for the visit was to join our friends from Pirmasens, and they royally entertained us.  Old acquaintances were renewed and new ones made, but the experience of Berlin was profound.  It, and Germany’s, history is so recent and one might expect it to be raw.  The guides we had were immensely educative and spoke with great dignity about issues, which many of us might have found difficult or embarrassing.  It is hard to comprehend the enormity of what has happened to Germany over the past 100 years.  Much of this has been in our lifetime, and Elspeth and I, and I am sure everyone else on this trip, are extremely grateful to the Pirmasens club for arranging such an enjoyable and worthwhile weekend.  I hope we can provide something as good in two years time!

Brian May