Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
its good coffee and
Schwedeneisbecher mit Eierlikor
—an ice-cream sundae with a shot of
egg liqueur, popular among those nostalgic for communism (Mon-Fri 10:00-20:00, Sat-Sun
12:00-20:00,Karl-Marx-Allee 72,atintersection withKoppenstrasse, ablockfromU-Bahn:
Strausberger Platz, tel. 030/2935-2203).
Heading out to Karl-Marx-Allee (just beyond the TV Tower), you're likely to notice a
giant colorful
mural
decorating a blocky communist-era skyscraper. This was the Ministry
of Education, and the mural is a tile mosaic trumpeting the accomplishments of the DDR's
version of “No Child Left Behind.”
Thefollowingsights—heavyonNaziandWallhistory—arelistedroughlynorthtosouth(as
you reach them from Unter den Linden).
This delightful, historic square is bounded by twin churches, a tasty chocolate shop, and the
Berlin Symphony's concert hall (designed by Karl Friedrich Schinkel, the man who put the
Neoclassical stamp on Berlin and Dresden). In summer, it hosts a few outdoor cafés,
Bier-
garten
s,andsometimesconcerts.Wonderfullysymmetrical,thesquareisconsideredbyBer-
liners to be the finest in town (U6: Französische Strasse; U2 or U6: Stadtmitte).
The name of the square—part French and part German (after the
Gens d'Armes,
Fred-
erick the Great's royal guard who were headquartered here)—reminds us that in the 17th
century,afifthofallBerliners wereFrenchémigrés—Protestant HuguenotsfleeingCatholic
France. Back then, Frederick the Great's tolerant Prussia was a magnet for the persecuted
(and for their money). These émigrés vitalized Berlin with new ideas and know-how...and
their substantial wealth.
Of the two matching churches on Gendarmenmarkt, the one to the south (bottom end of
square)isthe
GermanCathedral
(DeutscherDom).Thiscathedral(nottobeconfusedwith
theBerlinCathedralonUnterdenLinden)wasbombedflatinthewarandrebuiltonlyinthe
1980s. It houses the thought-provoking Milestones, Setbacks, Sidetracks
(Wege, Irrwege,
Umwege)
exhibit, which traces the history of the German parliamentary system—worth
▲
.
The parliament-funded exhibit—while light on actual historical artifacts—is well done and
more interesting than it sounds. It takes you quickly from the revolutionary days of 1848
to the 1920s, and then more deeply through the tumultuous 20th century. As the exhibit is
designed for Germans rather than foreign tourists, there are no English descriptions—but
you can follow the essential, excellent, and free 1.5-hour English audioguide or buy the
wonderfully detailed €10 guidebook. If you think this museum is an attempt by the Ger-
man government to develop a more sophisticated and educated electorate in the interest of
