Jurgen and Elke's home

Sabine and Jurgen

Jurgen's Forest

Ship Elevator - This imposing technical construction received its present form between 1927 and 1934. A 502-foot (157-meter) canal bridge connects it with the Oder-Havel Canal. The elevator raises the ships into a huge, water-filled trough, bridging differences in height of up to 115 feet (36 meters) in 20 minutes.

Northeast of Eberswalde stands Chorin Monastery. This Cistercian monastery, which was built between 1273 and 1334, is one of the oldest constructions illustrating the North German Gothic architectural style using bricks. Friends of music should not miss the concerts of the Chorin Music Summer.

While in Berlin city, we met Monika (aunt-in-law) in Berlin for a city tour with Sabine. Bus tour, bombed out church memorial that was left in ruins to remind all what a terrible thing war is, Ka De We shopping department store (largest in Europe by 3 square meters), Parliament House tour by Monika's friend who is a member of Parliament, also meet Gary's cousin, Monika's Son Andres and his young son (2 yrs old). Monika's friend escorted us through the back door and straight up to the top floor to look down on the large room where all heads of state sit to vote on new laws. They just broke for recess after being sworn in their new offices from the recent election. Sabine recognized a few senators as they were leaving the same back doors that we arrived through. Afterwards we walked through Brandenburg Gate and dinner at a pub, then walked to the TV tower to smash coins in the souvenir machines and a birds eye look of city. Train to Potsdam and taxi home, because we missed the last train.

Gary, Sabine and Monika

Berlin's House of Parliament- Reichstag

Remaining section of the Berlin Wall - The Berlin sectorial border between East and West Berlin was closed by barriers built August 13, 1961. This wall remained until November 9, 1989.

Used book sale at Humbolt University (where the books were ordered to be burned in 1933) - Goebbels organizes Nazi student organizations and SA troops to ransack public libraries and the library of the Humbolt University, and burn the books at the Opernplatz. Goebbels speaks before the crowd about the harm that "un-German" literature does to society.

Gary and a Smart Car.

Checkpoint Charlie - The main function of the checkpoint was to register and inform members of the Western Military Forces before entering East Berlin. Foreign tourists were also informed but not checked in the West.

Postcard showing Brandenburg Gate in 1964, notice "no-mans-land" that separated East and West Berlin. There were 2 walls with open space (and rabbits) in between.

Potsdamer Platz was located in "no-mans-land" and is now a huge office/shopping complex. These buildings were built in a 7 year period after the wall came down.

Postcard showing the Reichstag Building (Parliment) in 1945.

Current look of building after reconstruction. This is where we went on a House tour by Monika's friend. We were in the glass dome looking down onto the blue chairs.

Potsdam

Potsdam palace and film museum. We visited Fredrick the great summer palace called Sansausi. Inside tour that Sabine translated from German to English. Bus ride to Elke's office in the afternoon and a visit to the Film Museum of Babelspeek Studios. The cameras have been rolling in Babelsberg since 1911, producing Fritz Lang's "Metropolis". Afterwards, we walked through old town Potsdam and the Holland district on the way to dinner.

Sansouci Palace of Fredrick the Great - Sans Souci Palace (1745-1747) and the New Palace (1763-1769), both built by Frederick II

Elke leaving work

Sabine and Elke in Dutch (Holland) section of Potsdam

Potsdam Brandenburg Gate - built in 1770

Berlin - Potsdam | Leipzig - Schwarzbach | Salzburg - Hallstatt | Rothenburg - Koln | Bath - Stonehenge - Oxford