Berlin
appears to me to be a City at ease with itself.
It is not in
a hurry like New York; It is not manic like Paris can be. The pace on the street
is more akin to an Australian City.
The people I
have come in to contact with have been friendly, welcoming, eager to help and happy.
There
appears to be many foreign residents and they too speak well of the City.
It is a
seemingly young City and it looks to me as if there is a very high proportion
of people aged between 20 and late 30’s. However, there also appears to be few
children.
Berlin is proud and positive.
Much of my
day has been spent surrounded by sadness. I had identified “The Story of Berlin”
museum as one I wanted to visit. Attached to it is a Hitler museum documenting
his rise to power and we know the rest.
I also
visited the Jewish memorial and the Topographie des Terrors.
Berlin is
incredibly open about the scars on its history, the atrocities performed on a
wide range of minority groups, the deportation programs and the horrors of the concentration
camps.
They in no
way celebrate it. They do however understand it is a part of their history and
outline the facts in a straight forward, detailed and often pictorial way.
Almost too detailed at times.
The ability
of this City to re-build physically after the destruction endured between 1943
and 1945 is amazing. However, more amazing is the ability to confront its
history, presenting it for all to see and understand.
I haven’t been
to Japan but I doubt their history is available for all to see and read.
Berliners
are courageous too.
There are
also many situations where Berliners have protested against Government
policies, taxes and wrong doings, and often with success. Other times the guns
were turned on them but they still presented next time.
If you are
over the age of 20, chances are you will know someone who was in Berlin during
the war and worked in the war effort.
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