Netherlands/Berlin Trip - Berlin      3rd August:

    The night was rudely disturbed by an exceedingly loud fire alarm sounding off not long after 2am. I grudgingly got dressed, peered out into the corridor, and slowly walked to the stairwell by the lifts. The whole area was clogged with people, and the staircase coming down was backed up with bleary-eyed folk too. Some, like me, had hastily thrown on some clothes, others had packed suitcases and backpacks. Nothing moved. If there was a fire raging somewhere, we weren't going anywhere fast. After five or so minutes, an announcement blasted out telling us that we could return to our rooms. Within a minute I was back in bed. Five minutes later, there was a knock on my door. I staggered once again out of bed, it was Rex checking that I was alright; very kind and thoughtful of him.
    After breakfast, we all sauntered down the Unter den Linden in the strong sunlight, seeking whatever shade we could. Our first objective for the day was a visit to the Berliner Dom. We climbed the portico with a granite staircase which stood before the monumental two-storey main front on the Lustgarten side of the building, and entered this resplendent building. My bus pass secured me a concessional entry fee, and we did a short tour of the museum part of the Dom to learn about the history and construction of this impressive building.

First Floor View in Dom

Altar

    The history of the Cathedral on Berlin's Spree Island began in 1465, when the St. Erasmus Chapel in the newly built royal palace of Cölln on the Spree was elevated to the stature of collegiate church. The German name for the Cathedral, Dom, can be traced back to the term Domkirche, which was used for such collegiate churches at that time. In 1536, Elector Joachim II moved the Dom into the former Dominican church, south of the palace.
    With Martin Luther's support, the elector established the Reformation in 1539, and the Dom became a Lutheran church. In 1608, the collegiate church was dissolved, and the Dom was declared the highest parish church in Cölln on the Spree. When Elector Johann Sigismund converted to Calvinism in 1613, the Cathedral became Court and Parish Church.
    From 1747 to 1750, Frederick the Great commissioned Johann Boumann the Elder to build a new baroque building to the north of the city palace. After the coffins were transferred from the crypt, the old, dilapidated Cathedral was torn down. On the occasion of the union of Prussia's Lutheran and Reformed communities, the interior and exterior of the Cathedral were renovated. The classicistic conversion by our old friend Karl Friedrich Schinkel was completed in 1822.
    

Up Inside the Dome

    Planning for the new Cathedral building in the Lustgarten began as early as the 19th century. Between 1825 and 1828, Karl Friedrich Schinkel presented numerous plans for a new Cathedral building. In 1842, construction began on a voluminous five-aisled basilica, based on drafts by August Stüler. However, due to the builder's hesitations and the limited financial means, building advanced slowly and was stopped in 1848, at which point only the burial place had been completed. Not until the reign of King William I, who later became Emperor, were the plans for a monumental Cathedral building advanced again. An architectural competition in 1867 proved ineffective, however, as none of the 51 submitted designs was approved by the jury. Not until 1888 did the initiative find its conclusion. Julius Carl Raschdorff's first design was not accepted, but the architect was given the opportunity to rework his plan. A somewhat changed and noticeably reduced form of Raschdorff's so-called "20 million project" was approved by William II three years later.
    In 1893, after the demolition of the old Cathedral, the foundations of the new structure were begun. The laying of the foundation stone took place on June 17th, 1894. The central building, a baroque-influenced Italian high Renaissance structure, was consecrated almost 11 years later, on February 27th, 1905. Flanked by four corner towers, the Cathedral's dome rose 114 meters above street level. The interior and exterior of the Cathedral were ornamented with an extensive pictorial scheme illustrating the New Testament and the history of church reformation. Construction of the Cathedral cost 11.5 million German Marks. According to architects' assessment, building a similar building today would require approximately 180 million Euros. Criticism of the building had already begun before the Cathedral was dedicated, and it still continues today. The Cathedral is accused of being too ostentatious, the expression of imperial "Byzantinism" and "showmanship". Despite all of these discussions, the Cathedral has always found many enthusiasts, who find the architecture uplifting and festive. At the same time, it provides a place for stillness and prayer within the restless centre of Berlin.

Dan Admiring the Dome

    The most prominent damage to the Cathedral caused by an air raid in 1940 was the loss of the altar windows. In 1944, the impact of a liquid incendiary bomb struck the foot of the dome lantern. Because access to this location was so difficult, the fire could not be extinguished, and the entire dome construction was destroyed. Parts of the burning dome crashed into the church and through the floor, causing the fire to spread all the way into the crypt below.
    Within one night, the Cathedral had been transformed into a ruin. Vandalism and weathering caused further damage. Money for the necessary protection of the structural materials came slowly. The bells chimed again for the first time after the war's end in November of 1948, and a provisional roof for the Cathedral's dome was only built in 1953. During this period, services and church music took place in the crypt area beneath the memorial church.

Synagogue

    With financial support from the German Protestant Church and the government of the Federal Republic, reconstruction of the still war-damaged Cathedral began in 1975. The memorial church on the north side and the imperial underpass on the south side of the Cathedral were torn down. The restored Baptismal and Matrimonial Chapel has been back in use for services and events of the Cathedral congregation since 1980. Construction work on the exterior façade of the Cathedral - with extreme alterations in the dome area - was essentially complete in 1983. Work on the interior began in 1984.
    On June 6th, 1993, the Sermon Church was reopened in a ceremonial service. The windows in the chancel and the mosaic paintings in the dome of the sermon church were reconstructed in the years that followed. On June 29th, 2002, the last of the dome mosaics was festively unveiled. The restored Hohenzollern crypt has been open to the public since November 20th, 2002. That was a brief account of the history of the Dom, though the museum did illustrate it much better with drawings, paintings and models
    The majestic display of the Sermon Nave casts a spell on many visitors as they enter the church. The central space of the Sermon Nave is bright and lofty; magical. The rich decoration and various structural elements enhance this impression. This huge octagonal space is framed by sandstone pillars fitted with pilasters. Crowning the pillars are figures of the four great reformers: Luther, Melanchthon, Zwingli, and Calvin. Across from them are princes: Landgrave Philip the Generous of Hesse, Elector Frederick the Wise of Saxony, Elector Joachim II of Brandenburg, and Duke Albert of Prussia. Above the statues, reliefs illustrate events from the lives of the apostles: the stoning of Stephen, the conversion of the apostle Paul, Paul in Athens, and Peter and Paul healing the lame. The reliefs are the work of the artist Otto Lessing. In the half-domes above the small galleries and the pulpit, the evangelists are portrayed in mosaics. These were created by the artist Woldemar Friedrich, who also decorated the ceiling above the organ gallery with splendid mosaic images.

Lustgarten and Altes Museum to the Right

    The powerful and radiant effect of the magnificent, 70 meter high dome was captivating, causing every visitor to pause in reverence on entering the Cathedral. Flooded with light, the dove represents the presence of the Holy Spirit. The dome mosaics portray the beatitudes from the Sermon on the Mount. Each of the famous dome mosaics is 39 square meters large and comprised of over 500,000 tiles in approximately 2000 different shades of colour.

St Marienkirche

    The Hohenzollern Crypt in the Cathedral of Berlin is of tremendous historical and cultural significance. It contains 94 entombments from the end of the 16th century until the beginning of the 20th century. Together with the stately sarcophagi and burial monuments in the sermon church, these document five hundred years of Brandenburg-Prussian burial culture. It was an impressive collection, but it left me somewhat cold; perhaps it reminded me that I have reached the fag end of life.
    Of course no trip to the Dom would be complete without a climb up the 270 steps to the outer walkway of the dome. Below us lay Museum Island, the Palace Square, and Lustgarten. Beyond that magnificent panoramas included the golden dome of the synagogue, Gendarmenmarkt, Nikolaiviertel, the Reichstag, and the Rotes Rathaus. It is well worth the climb.

Nikolaikirche

    After we had exhausted the Dom, we agreed to split up. Rex and Meryl intended to visit the Oberbaumbrücke and the East Side Gallery, a 1316m long remnant of the Berlin Wall that has been turned into one large open-air gallery containing 106 paintings. Dan and I had seen these two sights eight years earlier.
    So, Dan and I planned to take a trip to the top of the Fernsehturm (T.V. Tower); that would definitely not appeal to Rex since he has a fear of any height greater than mast height. It was only after buying the tickets that we learned we would have to wait two hours. Time to kill time we thought.
    We decided to visit the Nikolaiviertel. Just outside the tower, a large crowd of Islamics had assembled by the Rathaus (town hall), and were just starting a city march complete with banners and chants. I never did find out what the issues were here, but there was a very large police presence, and many roads were closed off.

Looking along Propststrasse towards Nikolaikirche, George Getting Stuck into the Dragon

    Nevertheless, we made it to the Nikolaiviertel or St. Nicholas Quarter, a small neighbourhood in the historic centre of Berlin. It is the site of Berlin's founding and home to the city's oldest church, the Nikolaikirche. The quarter occupies the area where Berlin was first founded in the early 13th century. The area, which borders the Spree river, contained some of the oldest buildings in Berlin. Until World War II, the district was characterised by inns, stores, farms and small businesses. Artists such as Kleist, Hauptmann, Ibsen, Casanova, Strindberg or Lessing either lived or stayed here. The area, however, was largely destroyed by bombing in 1944 and for a long time it laid in ruins.

Inside Nikolaikirche

    After the war Nikolaiviertel became part of East-Berlin. It wasn't until 1979, in the run-up to the 750th anniversary of the city, before reconstruction of the area started. During the eight-year project, replicas of historic buildings were constructed in an attempt to recreate a historic quarter. It was sometimes scornfully nicknamed "Honecker's Disneyland" due to the unorthodox way in which the restoration took place. Almost none of the buildings were built at their original location. The result is nonetheless a nice tourist-attracting area with many restaurants and cafés.

Karl Marx (left) and Friedrich Engels

    We made our way to the centre of the Nikolaiviertel where we found the Nikolaikirche, the oldest church in Berlin, which gave the quarter its name. The church dates all the way back to the early days of Berlin. It was probably built shortly after Berlin was granted town privileges. The building has undergone much reconstruction over the centuries. A presbytery was built in 1402 and the two towers were added in 1877. The Nikolaikirche was destroyed in 1945 by bombing and completely rebuilt in 1987. The church now houses a museum recounting the history of the city. It was a lovely, light building inside with a light pastel colour scheme to match the setting; quite beautiful.
    Gabled buildings around the quarter reminded me of the Netherlands, and together with the oldy-worldy pubs, cafes and restaurants, I could see why it has become a popular part of a tourist's itinerary.
    We followed the Nikolaiviertel with a quick walk around the Museuminsel, passing through the spacious garden in front of the Dom, the Lustgarten. The garden was originally created as an exotic garden for Princess Luise, spouse of the Great Elector. King Frederick William I, the so-called "Soldier-King", turned the garden into a military parade ground. In 1997 the garden was laid out to a 19th century design by Schinkel. As part of the remodelling, a modern fountain was installed in 2000 in the middle of the garden. The fountain, designed by Hans Loidl, spouts water up to ten meters high and attracts the attention of passers-by, particularly today due to the scorching heat.
    An interesting aspect was the huge Graniteschale (granite bowl) in front of the Altes Museum. It was commissioned in 1826 by King Frederick III and was created from a large, 700 tonnes, red granite rock found just outside Berlin. The bowl was designed by Christian Gottlieb Cantian in the style of the great porphyry bowl from Emperor Nero's Golden House (now on display in the Vatican Museums). When it was completed in 1828, it was the world's largest bowl, measuring 6.91m in diameter and weighing over seventy tonnes. It was to be placed in the rotunda of the Altes Museum but due to a miscalculation the bowl was too large so instead it was placed outside.
    The history of Museum Island started with King Frederick William III who, in 1810, commissioned the creation of a public museum on Spree Island. In 1822 Karl Friedrich Schinkel drew up plans to develop the island, and a first museum building, the Royal Museum (now the Altes Museum) opened in 1830. The museum was built to allow the general public to view the royal art treasures of Prussia. It was the first such museum in the country. But the idea for a museum island wasn't devised until around 1841, when Friedrich August Stüler proposed the idea to create a cultural centre on the island, which was lauded by all. The architect also designed the Neues Museum (New Museum), which opened in 1859 as the Royal Prussian Museum.

Alte Nationalgalerie on Museuminsel

    The year 1876 saw the completion of the Alte Nationalgalerie (Old National Gallery). The Kaiser-Friedrich Museum (today the Bode Museum) was added in 1904 and the final museum, the Pergamon, was completed in 1930. Sadly, nearly 70% of the buildings were destroyed during World War II and, after the war, the collections were split up between East and West Berlin. After German reunification the collections were brought together again and a masterplan was drawn up designed to not only restore all five museums but also expand and modernize the museum complex as a whole.
    We strolled around the island, but time did not permit us to visit any of the museums, we had to return to the Fernsehturm for the appointed hour. After a quick security check, we shot up 203m to the viewing platform at a dizzying speed. The Fernsehturm or the Tele-spargel is one of the tallest structures in Europe. The total height to the top of the spire is 365m. It was built in 1969 by a team of architects with the help of Swedish experts. It consists of a concrete shaft, a steel-clad metal sphere and a TV antenna. A revolving restaurant (Telecafé) is also sited in the sphere.
    The views from here were stunning. Whereas from the Dom viewing gallery we could see structures on the horizon, here we now looked down on those same structures, and the horizon shifted into a hazy, blue, fuzzy outline that melted into the blue sky. As well as the vast city spread below us with its arterial waterways meandering through it, we gazed down onto two airfields, Tempelhof and Tegel, and watched planes land and take off. It was an ideal place to sit down and sip a cold beer, so ideal in fact that we did, and watched the city go about its business far below us.

Cheers from the Fernsehturm

    Having had our fill of views, we headed down to one of the many cruise boat jetties, and within 10 minutes we were gliding along the River Spree, listening to a mixed German/English commentary provided by a young chap, probably a student, about areas and buildings we were passing. The hour trip was well worth the money spent and an ideal way to see the city without trudging for miles and miles, indeed a lovely way to wind down after hours' worth of sight-seeing.
    We caught a train back to the hotel, had a quick shower, and re-joined Rex and Meryl. Unanimously we decided to eat out in Nikolaiviertel, and to save a lengthy walk, we would catch trains there and back. As we left the hotel to cross the large square to the Central Station, we found ourselves surrounded by a large police presence. Near the hotel, on a small podium, a fellow was shouting out through a tannoy to a motley collection of about thirty people who occasionally applauded him. 80m further across the square, behind a heavily policed barrier, thirty or so people shouted and jeered back at the small group in front of us. I asked a nearby policeman what all the commotion was about. The nearest group listening to the man on the tannoy were demanding that Germany should take no more refugees. The group behind the barrier were the opposition. The police outnumbered the lot of them by about three to one.
    In a short time we were strolling through Nikolaiviertel again. Rex and Meryl had also been here earlier today, having decided not to go out as far as Oberbaumbrücke and the East Side Gallery.
    Down by the sparkling river, at the Villi restaurant, we drank and ate our last evening meal in Berlin. It was a gorgeous setting, with the Dom just a short distance down the river. Sadly our waiter was not so gorgeous. His mission in life was to rush us through our decision making process and meals; perhaps he wanted to get home early to watch his favourite soap opera, East Enders or perhaps East Berliners since we were in Berlin. Despite all this, we displayed true British grit and progressed at our own tempo. The food was good mind you, and so was the ale.