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No Society Is Immune

Over the weekend, I went on a walking tour with Refugee Voices Tours Berlin, led by a man from Syria with refugee status in Germany. During the tour, we visited a series of historical sites in Berlin. At each landmark, our guide would first briefly describe the German history related to the spot, and then draw parallels to similar types of events in Syria, from government-led massacres in the 1980s up through its present-day, devastating civil war.

We visited a number of sites, including the best known crossing point of the Berlin wall and the site of former Nazi central institutions. Learning about Syria at these sites grounded the point: no society is immune to political violence, turbulence, and fear. Offering shelter, and being sheltered, is an ongoing cycle in which we swap roles depending on the current state of the world. Continue reading “No Society Is Immune”

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Mauerpark

Mauer park (literally, “wall park”) is located in part of the former death strip of the Berlin Wall that divided the East and West. Now, it’s a lovely open space, home to a famous flea market and weekly karaoke.

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I have to say, that this policy from the park website seems very in-line with what I know of Berlin:

The wall near the swings is part of the former Hinterlandmauer of the Berlin Wall that separated Berlin. It is an official monument.

Creative engagement with our history, however, fits well with the spirit of Mauerpark: therefore, graffiti from the side of the park is permitted.

Please remember: Spray cans belong with the hazardous waste! So spray first, then clean up!

I paraphrase: History is important, but it’s also something we are grappling with – and making – today. But seriously. Don’t put the spray cans in the wrong bin.

 

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A Weekend of Food

Since arriving in Berlin, we haven’t consumed so much in the way of what might be considered traditional German food. However, to celebrate the fact that Berlin is a diverse, international city, we’ve been sampling tasty, interesting food from all around the world.

This weekend was full of tasty, interesting food.

On Saturday, I was one of several cooks at Über den Tellerrand‘s 50 Shades of Salad, one of the organization’s many events to promote cultural exchange. I made pasta salad with caramelized fennel/onions, sun-dried tomatoes, chickpeas, and parsley, a salad-ish combination that seemed reasonably “American.” Other cooks made salads from from Iran, Italy, Syria, and Japan.

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Parks and Playgrounds in Berlin

On the weekends, we’ve been enjoying the amazing parks and playgrounds in Berlin.

Some parks, like Jungfernheide, are huge and forest-y, with lakes where people can swim and splash. (Some people wear bathing suits, some don’t. Nudity seems much less taboo in Germany than anywhere else we’ve visited. At the DDR museum, there was a part of the exhibit dedicated to nude beaches in the DDR/GDR, complete with photos and videos. )

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Continue reading “Parks and Playgrounds in Berlin”

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Books I Read About Germany While In Germany

Book of Clouds is a somewhat surreal novel set in modern-day Berlin, from the perspective of a Mexican woman who has been living there for several years. It dips into Nazi and Stasi history, and explores how the past reflects into the present. I definitely recommend this book.

Goodbye to Berlin is a classic collection of interwoven short stories set in Berlin during the 1930s, as the Nazis were just beginning to come to power. This book was the inspiration for Cabaret, the musical turned movie.

Stasiland is a narrative documenting stories of former East Germany citizens and Stasi officials during the GDR.  It’s written by an Australian author, and intermixed with the stories are her own reactions and experiences during her research. It’s well-written and a fascinating.

Leaving Berlin is a spy thriller set in Berlin in the first years of its time as a divided city, during the Berlin Airlift.

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