Berlin Day 2. September 25, 2013

How did we ever get anything done before email? I had been waiting for another response from the contacts in Linda, Germany, and to my delight this  morning at 5am a lovely communication from the mayor popped up. He as located some elderly residents  that remember the American  prisoners, including a Mr. Fischer (a relation to Karl?) who now lives in Dresden. He is working on PR and a translator for a book talk! So, the excitement is turned up a notch.

It was chilly, but as the sidewalk cafes hang on to possibility, we joined the bundled conspirators and had breakfast all fresco. The coffee cafe next door exudes the same funky aura as our hotel, and these REI outfitted Yanks camped out with lingering lattes and iPads to strategize the day's routes via reliable wifi. Thanks to Nancy and Jim, we had registered entry tickets for an English tour of the Reichstag.  Rather than take the subway, we were up for the mile + walk past the Freidrichsborg and Linden areas. We were very early so strolled in the Tiergarden and came across a moving memorial to the  approximately half million  gypsies murdered by the Nazis. It is evident in the several memorials we have seen in just two days that the bitter pill of culpability has been swallowed by the German psyche. They have clearly owned up to the atrocities perpetrated by not just the command but by all who were witnesses.

The Reichstag is as much about the unfortunate history and the government post 1989 as it is about the reconstructed interior. Today it is a marvel of a building, melding the neoRenaissance structure with the necessary reconstruction from the war damage and neglect. The British architect (Foster) inserted modern glass into the building juxtaposed with graffiti walls leftover from the Russian occupation. We had the opportunity to sit in the parliamentary chamber, and enjoyed the ramp walk in the magnificent mirrored and glass dome which affords panoramic views of much of the city.

A stop for soup refreshed us for the mile walk back to our hotel, and a few blocks beyond to the New Synagogue. Forgoing a nap we toured the museum there.  Part of the structure survived the war, but the enormous sanctuary was destroyed. Now the room for prayer is the size is a large classroom, vs as eating for 3,000.The beautiful dome can be seen for many blocks around. Most impressive was the extent of social and cultural involvement which existed before the war.  At one time there were 160,000 Jews in Berlin. Today no one knows how many there are because there are few synagogue members.

Our dinner near the Tiergarten zoo was arranged by Nancy and Jim who made a reservation to include their friends from Madison who come to Berlin for work. The restaurant, Heising,received high marks from many sources. It is a lovely old world, Victorian parlor with candles and pale roses decorating the small dining room.  The hosts are a charming couple, probably in their mid 70s. They took care of each table as personal guests, and gave the ladies a rose upon leaving.