Berlin: Buddy Bears

Everywhere in Berlin you can find these guys. This  is not the famous "Berliner Bär", the bear of the Berlin coat-of-arms, but a Buddy Bear. Never heard of them? What a pity.

They are the invention of two Berlin residents, Eva and Klaus Herlitz. They thought of the idea to ask artists around the world to decorate these fiberglass bears and then the United Circle of Buddy Bears travelled around the world to promote the message of global peace, tolerance and friendship. In the cities, where the bears are shown, charity auctions and activities raise money for good causes and from time to time some of them are sold for charity.

I was introduced to the Buddy Bears by Jackie Chan's website, to be more precise, the Kids Corner of it. When Jackie Chan learnt about these bears, he became a fan and has supported the project ever since. You can find more information on his website and you can also download your own Buddy Bear to decorate.

http://www.jackiechankids.com/files/Buddy_Bears.htm

Oh, I forgot, the Buddy Bear is the chap in the suit, the bear in the anorak is me on a cool May day in Berlin...

Berlin: The Reichstag

Berlin has not always been the German capital, mainly, because for most of our history there was no "Germany" that needed a capital. In the Middle Ages there was a German Empire that consisted of a loose connection of territories. After the Thirty-Years-War in 1648 they gained a lot of independence and the Kaiser just had a pretty crown, but no power over the whole Reich. So Berlin was the capital of the territory of Brandenburg that later became the kingdom of Preußen (Prussia).

In 1806 even this loose-knit empire was dismantled and not restored after Napoleon had been sent to exile. It was not until 1871 that a German national state was founded by Otto von Bismarck. The capital was Berlin and the King of Prussia became the German Kaiser (emperor).
This Reich had a constitution and even a parliament that was called "Reichstag", just like the building where the representatives met. However, at that time the main power still was with the Kaiser. After World War I the German people established the first real democratic state on German soil and the Reichstag became the building where the representatives of the people controlled the government and made the laws.

But in 1933 Adolf Hitler was appointed Chancellor. In February 1933 there was a fire in the Reichstag, which Hitler took as an excuse to abolish the basic human rights of the constitution, which was the first step to establishing the Nazi dictatorship.

After the war the building was restored, but without the dome that was blown up in 1945. It was situated next to the Berlin Wall and hosted an exhibition about German history. When Germany was reunited in 1990 and Berlin became capital again, also the Reichstag got its old function back: since 1999 it has been the place where the representatives of the German people meet, discuss and rule. Today it is one of the most famous attractions of the city - from the roof and the top of the new glass dome you have a wonderful view of the city.

Berlin: The divided city

Last week I was in Berlin with a group of students. Berlin is not only the capital of Germany, but it is also a city with a lot of tragic history, particularly when you consider the time of the Cold War. Between 1949 and 1990 there were two German states, a Communist eastern state (German Democratic Republic) and a parliamentary democracy in the west, the Federal Republic of Germany. West Berlin was sort of part of the FRG, whereas East Berlin was the capital of the GDR. And West Berlin was an like an island in the Communist system, always in danger of being cut off from supplies. This happened in 1948/49, when the Soviets blocked all the roads and railways from West Germany to West Berlin and American and British planes flew everything that was needed into the city. There is a monument for this "Luftbrücke" (literally: air bridge) at Frankfurt airport and when you see that the planes used were so small compared to modern freight planes, you get an idea of the enormous task that was done then.

In 1961 the East German government decided to stop people from trying to leave the GDR via West Berlin and built a wall that was to divide the city until 1989. Today you can only see a line on the ground where the wall once was and some remains that show visitors how it was. The most famous one is "Checkpoint Charlie", which was the place where international military and diplomats could cross to the other half of the city. In October 1961, Soviet and American tanks stood here facing each other and ready to shoot ... Berlin was right in the middle of all the tension of those days.

The first picture shows the Brandenburger Tor (Brandenburg Gate), which used to be on East Berlin territory - how wonderful that everybody can walk through it again ! The other pictures show how "Checkpoint Charlie" looked when it was still in use and the line that signifies where the wall used to be.