This morning we made our way to Friedrich Str., to visit a unique little historical and human rights museum dedicated to telling "the stories of those escapees who risked their lives to win their freedom", and those who helped them escape the GDR.
The "Haus am Checkpoint Charlie" is located at the point where my mother and I used to cross from West to East when visiting relatives before the wall came down in 1989.
I remember being very impressed with the replica hiding spots under the engines of cars, and in specially made suitcases; my barrage of questions must have driven my mother nuts when we went to visit the museum so many years ago. But at least I had some schema; I had stood at the wall with my mother's friends from West Berlin, and had crossed the border both ways when visiting family in the former East Germany... my own boys know only the stories.
The "Haus am Checkpoint Charlie" is located at the point where my mother and I used to cross from West to East when visiting relatives before the wall came down in 1989.
I remember being very impressed with the replica hiding spots under the engines of cars, and in specially made suitcases; my barrage of questions must have driven my mother nuts when we went to visit the museum so many years ago. But at least I had some schema; I had stood at the wall with my mother's friends from West Berlin, and had crossed the border both ways when visiting family in the former East Germany... my own boys know only the stories.
One thing I really like about the museum is that they have a long history of using it as a tool to educate first the "west" school kids and now all students who visit... the art of children hangs throughout the museum, and one sees the impressions made on the kids who produced the pieces.
At one point, as we were reading a story about a family who had been separated because the father escaped with one child first, and then had to wait for over a year before being reunified with the other child and the mother, Alex asked me, “if we were escaping, which of us would go first?” This lead to a long and interesting discussion about if and under what conditions one might leave one’s home country, and how and why one might make the decision to leave separately as opposed to altogether.
I'm glad I got to share this museum visit with Alex and Simon -- although they don't really understand everything, it was neat to see them so engaged, eyes full of wonder as the wheels turned upstairs, and they asked questions to fill in the many gaps that were forming as quickly as new connections and understandings were being made!
I'm glad I got to share this museum visit with Alex and Simon -- although they don't really understand everything, it was neat to see them so engaged, eyes full of wonder as the wheels turned upstairs, and they asked questions to fill in the many gaps that were forming as quickly as new connections and understandings were being made!
After our border visit, it was off to lunch, where I was very happy to get some Algauer Kasespaetzle though I will confess they were not as good as I had hoped--a little dried out, and the onions not caramalized. But nevertheless, it was a decent meal (there was even a real salad; don't get me started on the lack of fresh vegetables around here... could be a whole other blog post, lol!)
After lunch, it was off to the Berliner Zoo.
I am no zoo expert, but it seemed to me that the enclosures were rather small, and as there were few pavilions, many animals were outside or off display. The zoo itself was lovely to walk through as a visitor, but as an animal, I think I'd choose the Toronto Zoo any day!
I will say this, though, the Berlin zoo has some pretty neat animals: In the short time we were there, we saw three species of procupine, some pink flamingos and even few giraffes.
The aquarium was also pretty neat; sharks, stingrays and all manner of fish.
After lunch, it was off to the Berliner Zoo.
I am no zoo expert, but it seemed to me that the enclosures were rather small, and as there were few pavilions, many animals were outside or off display. The zoo itself was lovely to walk through as a visitor, but as an animal, I think I'd choose the Toronto Zoo any day!
I will say this, though, the Berlin zoo has some pretty neat animals: In the short time we were there, we saw three species of procupine, some pink flamingos and even few giraffes.
The aquarium was also pretty neat; sharks, stingrays and all manner of fish.
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