WANDERLUST: Berlin: City of Stones

The title of this blog post is aptly named after a graphic novel that I read as part of my curriculum in my first year of University. Jason Lutes' "Berlin: City of Stones" is not your typical graphic novel, it does not contain any sounds bubbles with the words "pow" or "bam" nor are there any superheroes. The main characters are average citizens, albeit extremely self-aware ones, who are living during the unstable Weimar Republic in the late 1920s.

During my time in Berlin, I couldn't shake the phrase "city of stones" out of my head. Maybe this was because every time I took a step, small rocks would become ensnared in the heels of my boots. I saw the tiny rocks I tread on as a reminder of Berlin's past: although the city has come so far in the past 23 years, underneath all the fresh paint and new roads there still lies an unforgettable past.

Berlin definitely pays homage to its past. There are multiple walking tours that pay vestige to old Berlin but there are also tours that explore new Berlin. I sampled a little bit of each, since the past is such an important building block for the future.

It's astonishing to think that the Berlin wall only came down 23 years ago and that Berlin is essentially 23 years-old, quite close to my own age. I discovered that although Berlin certainly has its ghosts, it is a very vibrant city that certainly acts like fun-loving twenty-something that it is.

The Past

{tolerance. note the colour scheme}

{communist propaganda}

{the building says: central intelligence agency interrogation center. It's probably fake, but still is very interesting}

{Berlin architecture}

{Bebelplatz, where 20,000 books were burned. "Those who burn books eventually burn people"}

{intimidating architecture: Wilhemstase 81-85)

The Berlin Wall

{spaces through the stones}

{close-up}

{length}

{more close ups}

Topography of Terror

Right behind the Berlin Wall, there is a fantastic museum called "The Topography of Terror" which chronicles the actions of the Third Reich.

{the resistance}

{ deportation of a Jewish mother and child by the Gestapo}

{the site of Hitler's bunker: where he; Eva; and Goebbels and his family all committed suicide}

The Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe

{rows}

{rain on stone}

{curvy path}

{raindrops}

{rain}

{stones and stones}

Why do you think the memorial was designed that way? Personally, it reminds me of a gravesite. I tried to capture that thought in my last shot. At certain angles the stones look like tombs and walking through the memorial was really eerie. It was really calm and cold, and I had the feeling of being underground. I'd love to hear what all of you think, feel free to leave a comment :)

now on a less serious note...

Love Locks: Berlin Edition

Ever since I discovered the love locks in Copenhagen, I keep my eyes peeled for them in the other cities that I visit. Berlin definitely did not disappoint in the love lock category.