a boy with a story to tell

So yes, that was Berlin in all its glory. The cool thing about Berlin is that there is always more. Always. We had an impossibly jam-packed four days, yet we could have stayed for another week and had equally as jam-packed and diverse days every single day after. If you ever have the chance, you betta make your way on over. 

Berlin, you have my heart. See you again soon. 

The Berlin Wall, another super interesting piece of Berlin’s/Germany’s history. The Wall stood separating East and West Germany for almost thirty years until it was finally taken down in 1989. Unfortunately, the Canadian School System does not touch on what doesn’t affect Canada directly ( :-( ), meaning that my background information concerning the Wall was slightly vague. 

It is crazy to think that this wall stood as our (speaking as a voice of our younger generation) parents were growing up. Understand the severity of this wall: 

- in the beginning, the wall was put up to stop mass immigration from the communist DDR to the democratic West Germany. This meant COMPLETELY SEVERING THE CONTACT between friends, loved ones, and families who were living on different sides from one another. 

- As it was put up initially, the wall surrounded all of West Germany, and contact to the outside world was cut off in an attempt to STARVE OUT THE POPULATION OF WEST GERMANY. Yes, a modern government tried to starve a city. In the freaking 20th century. This effort was hindered by the surrounding powers (including Canada) frequently airdropping food and supplies to the inhabitants of West Germany, thus these efforts of alienation were eventually called off. 

- the orders of the soldiers monitoring the wall were to IMMEDIATELY FIRE AT THOSE ATTEMPTING TO CROSS. This meant that people were willing to risk their lives for the freedom of democracy and an escape from their suppressive government. The citizens of a first world country were slaughtered in their attempts to seek political freedom. 

- An estimated 5,000 people crossed the wall regardless of the risks it took, with 200 people losing their lives in attempts. 

UNDERSTAND THAT THIS WAS NOT LONG AGO, AND HOW CRAZY THAT IT IS. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN OUR TIME. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN OUR PARENTS. THE WORLD IS A STRANGE AND CRAZY PLACE. 

The history of Berlin and Germany is extremely fascinating. A well known piece of Berlin is the Holocaust Memorial, located in the heart of the city. This is essentially multiple dark statues stood symmetrically side by side in a huge pavement-fielded area as a maze. The effect of walking through these statues is terrifying. One second you are standing beside someone, the next they are gone and unable to be found. You get lost, confused, freaked out so fast. 

The museum that went along with it was haunting as well. The Holocaust is an international topic in school, but this museum went a lot further than what is covered in history lessons. The most haunting exhibit was that containing real pieces of papers, journals, letters, scrap notes, and everything in between of the victims of the Holocaust. Last words, suicide notes, goodbyes to loved ones… Learning about the history of the atrocities that took place is one thing, but hearing and reading the stories and words of real people and victims takes a toll on you. It makes you realize the actual reality of it all in a horrifying manner.