Tuesday 8 September 2015

A Lidl Bit About Berlin

So yes, we were in Berlin, and we went with Little A (who is now 10 and not that little any more.)  It was a postponed trip that had to be put off in February because I was ill, and quite different from what it would have been in February. For a start, we could walk through the streets without being frozen to bits. And so we got the chance to stop and examine this manhole cover, which has a good selection of hints about what to see in the city.   


 The manhole cover didn't show Checkpoint Charlie, seen below with some pretty unconvincing soldiers (who are however having a great time.)  We thought Little A would be interested in Checkpoint Charlie, but actually he found the whole idea of the Berlin Wall odd, weird and grim. Which of course it was. Perhaps we have become so used to it that we have forgotten that it represents something considerably more than an opportunity for souvenir sellers.  


I like Berlin - in fact, it's one of my favourite cities. There is something over-the-top about it, a strength and energy which is reflected in its greyness, hardness and occasional baroque flourishes.  Among its associations are Frederick the Great, an exceptional man with a chilling life story well described in James Gaines' "Evening In the Palace of Reason."  No wonder the poor fellow looks rather haunted in this picture.


I also associate Berlin with all those famously well drilled and tough Prussian soldiers, but of course there are


 endless stories of horror and war to be found at every turn of its hard-edged streets. Despite this, Berlin is a cultural hotspot, and its many museums include one about the Bauhaus - a style that transformed architecture, and certainly seems to evoke the city's style.   


We didn't focus on history that much on this trip, but Little A did want to see the Computer  Games Museum - a place we'd never have gone on our own. The museum offers the chance to play so many retro games - you'll probably remember them. Had you forgotten how good PONG is?  Or perhaps you never knew?  As you can see the museum provides a specially designed 1970s living room to play PONG in....


And it had a super Pac-Man arcade game



(Play Pac-Man online and very small here.)  And Mario Brothers. The museum even had filmed interviews with the guy who composed the music! 


The giant joystick was popular


And here's early Pokemon ...


but the museum goes back much further than this, right to the dawn of computing, the noughts and crosses game created in 1952 for the EDSAC computer and far too difficult to play without extensive training.   Here is an ad for the Geniac Electric Brain from the mid fifties


and I was pleased to see they had a working ELIZA, the very first online therapist from 1965


The computer games museum was compelling, but our hotel was also near another Berlin attraction - the famous and old-established chocolate shop, Fassbender & Rauschm. I like to visit each time I go to Berlin.  I have always been enthralled by its chocolate models


and the chocolates are truly fabulous.  We bought a box, and as you see they are very pretty and are also in delicious and unusual flavours. You can choose each chocolate individually to go into a fancy gold and dark green box. With the Euro quite low against the pound, we found the price of this (and everything else in Berlin) very reasonable. 



We spent some time shopping, and this unusual sculpture in a shopping mall delayed us for a while.  It seems to be made entirely of rubbish, or perhaps it is graffiti sprayed iron sheeting. What do you think?


As I said, although Berlin is full of museums and art, I don't think even its best friend could describe it as "quaint," "colourful" or "charming."   This picture, showing the remains of the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church in the Breitscheidplatz,offers a desolate vista.  Ugly though the scene now is, it has an interesting history. 


Dating from the 1890s, the old church was something of a showpiece in its day. Here are some of the fin-de-siecle mosaics which still survive in the base of the ruined bit.


All that is left now is the broken old spire, bombed by the Allies in 1943, and a hallway below. It is linked to what is surely one of the world's ugliest churches, designed by Egon Eiermann. Its mean tower is made of grey concrete and studded with countless square little windows like you get in public toilets.  Here's a clearer picture just to show it in its full exterior ugliness.

Inside, though, things improve. Each of those thick little glass windows is actually made of deep blue glass and the overall impression is unearthly and imposing. Even though the space seems claustrophobic and badly proportioned, there is something very memorable about this dark blue place with its huge, bright, sad Jesus. 


Such a pity that nobody stopped Eiermann from creating something that looks so awful from outside. Unless, of course, they wanted it to be ugly and grim.  I suppose that's possible. 

The square also contains a fountain surrounded by a collection of bizarre sculpture and I believe the whole array is known as "Weltkugelbrunnen."  I am afraid I've not been able to find out much information about what it all means, and why it looks like this, so if you know, please tell me. There must surely be an interesting story behind it.   There are more photos of it (in better weather) here.  Meanwhile feast your eyes on these. 







 There are still many "Plattenbauten" concrete apartment blocks lining the big wide streets in the Eastern part of the city, although many of them have been renovated now and are probably considered rather cool.  Little A. did not mind this kind of architecture at all - in fact, he liked it.  He also loved the excellent modern playgrounds opposite our hotel.   


I can recommend our hotel by the way. It's one of the few in the city that has an indoor pool and that was a massive hit with Little A.  We don't usually use hotel pools but in fact, encouraged along by him, we found we liked it so much that we went there twice a day - it also has a sauna, jacuzzi and well equipped gym.  It was unsupervised and empty most of the time, and Little A. had fun running the wrong way round on the treadmill which was probably a bit dangerous, although when I remember what we did I feel that kids probably need to do things like that. He came to no harm, anyhow.

The hotel consisted of small and larger suites containing well equipped kitchens. It was called the Adina Checkpoint |Charlie, and it was reasonably priced, sparklingly clean, near the station, near Fassbender & Rauch -  and there was a Lidl supermarket just across the road so we could cook Little A the food he liked. What more could you want?

A bit of romance, perhaps?  No, only joking.


Sorry for the pun in the title of this post. Lidl uses it on its (increasingly frequent and annoying) ads here in Britain. 


45 comments:

  1. So far, I've been to Berlin only once in my life; that was in 2005, very shortly after Steve and I were married, upon invitation (as a wedding gift) from a friend who lives there. We did enjoy our 5 days there but I can't say my impression of Berlin was such that I have wanted to go back all the time.
    Your post was very interesting for me, and I looked up the Weltkugelbrunnen on (the German version of) wikipedia. Some of the sculptures are explained there. For instance, the lady sitting on a rim is "Vanity". The whole ensemble was designed in 1983. Without knowing its age, I thought it was much older - something Oskar Schlemmer could have created.

    While we were in England in August, my sister and I saw some Lidl adverts on telly. They really weren't any good!

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  2. Berlin has to be a very interesting city to visit. Visiting the museum of computer games had to be the best adventure for your grandson.

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  3. The computer museum is a retro walk, that's for sure. A company named Heathkit used to sell household items as kits. Radios for example, and even computers, later on. I bought many of them for my girls to put together. They learned a lot about electricity and basic skills like soldering. They built a pong for out TV, and quickly lost interest in playing it. It was the chief attraction for my nephews, though.

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  4. We've never been to Berlin, actually we haven't been to Germany, it's on our to do list, :)

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  5. Our only trip to Berlin was when it was still a divided city. Mac was in the Army and we had to take the troop train, he wasn't allowed, because of the security clearance he had, to drive in East Germany. At the border East German Army guards collected our passports and armed guards patrolled the corridors of the train to make sure we didn't leave our compartment.
    Seeing Checkpoint Charlie was eerie, as was seeing the wall itself.
    Loved the museums, got to see the famous head of Queen Nefertiti.

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  6. What a lovely and informative post this was, and for me it brings back many memories! My grandparents lived in Berlin and I did get to visit them there once for an entire month. The Glass church was one of my favorite places, and the many bakeries and all their delicious goodies! I'd never seen anything like it in America. I was too young to understand the Wall or checkpoint Charlie, but my cousins did, and they were very haunted and scared to go near it. It is a memory that I will never ever forget. Thanks for sharing this with us.

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  7. Great post - I enjoyed it very much. I visited Berlin just before the Wall came down and, from the perspective of experiencing a bit of history, was glad I saw it then. I've wanted to go back to see it now. Your post drew my attention to loads I didn't know - not least Fassbender & Rauch (which does sound rather like a law firm?) and the 'Weltkugelbrunnen'! And designing a manhole cover as a map is an act of genius - though I guess it depends where the manhole cover is... Incidentally, I visited Alice Hargreaves in Lyndhurst the other week.

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  8. Chocolate and video games, I may have to ship my husband off. That would be his Heaven.
    Thank you so much for sharing. You have a way of weaving a story so that it feels real!

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  9. I've been to Berlin many years ago when the Berlin wall was destroyed. So I remember a bit about it and have read with interest your post Jenny. These sculptures are strange, can't imagine what do they mean. I think you chose a good hotel-apartment with kitchen - I prefer these ones too.

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  10. Well, another wonderful trip and post. I have to ask, what's wrong with a bit of romance? I loved your photos. When I visited Berlin as a teen,ages ago, checkpoint Charlie and the wall were very much in existence.My dad took me to look at it and I remember the starkness of the eastern side and wondering why humans put so much stock in geopolitics and borders if they brought so much misery. I am glad A had an altogether different experience and you all had such a nice visit.

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  11. I went to Berlin last year - and loved it. Though it was really hot, so I spent more time sitting about with a beer and less time in the lovely museums and art galleries.

    And particularly loved the quiet room - tucked into the Brandenburg Gate. It's a lovely, reflective space. But probably not great for children!

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  12. Never had the pleasure of getting to Berlin, but maybe i can change that someday.

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  13. You've aptly described Berlin with its "greyness and hardness" and yet it's such a fascinating city. That's the first time I've ever seen an interesting manhole cover - - but perhaps I've just never looked at them closely enough.

    I've never liked computer games, and the fact that they are now housed in a museum makes me feel archaic. I would much rather haunt the chocolate shop, which looks delightful and delicious.
    That gigantic rubbish sculpture in the mall looks very similar to all the junk I have piled in my garage. Perhaps I should consider turning it into something "artistic"??

    Another very interesting post, Jenny!

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  14. The museum of computer games would thrill my son and he's 40. I remember playing pong and that it was actually difficult--LOL! But our mind-hand connections got used to the new games fairly quickly, I guess.
    What an interesting and strange city. Not sure it would have had much appeal to me, but you make everything interesting. :)

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  15. I really, really, really must go soon. My husband is lots better and I will surely recover from my stint as carer. I really, really must go before it’s all too late. I wonder if they’ll have me as well as all the refugees?

    At the moment I am quite proud of my Landsleute.

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  16. A lovely blogpost..makes me wish we could go!

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  17. It is lovely that you spent time with your grandson in Berlin a trip that he is sure to have lasting memories of. I agree that Berlin is a great city to visit with some wonderful museum to visit - my favourite being the small Käthe Kollwitz Museum - a great artist and sculptress. Her work is extremely poignant and very moving.
    Sadly there is now talk of new walls and impenetrable fences being erected in Europe - not to keep people in but keep people out - how ironic is that?

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  18. Hi Jenny, this sounds like a terrific trip and wonderful time for you all to be together. I'm quite unfamiliar with Berlin so this post really illuminated my view. I did know it is quite a renowned art city and of course some of the history -- it's the other bits that are intriguing. It dawned on me when I was reading this that all his life Little A has never known a Berlin Wall. I imagine that's quite a concept for a kid to wrap his brain around.

    Well, it all sounds perfect and your lidl photos are quite terrific! For the first time I've had more curiosity about someday visiting!

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  19. That was an interesting trip I've just taken through your post. Seeing the video game museum made me nostalgic about Mario's adventures and Pokemon. And oh, the chocolates of course are the best treat.

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  20. I wasn't expecting to like Berlin, but we had a wonderful visit a few years ago.

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  21. I remember when young that there was a photographic book about Berlin published in the thirties lying round the house....so you've brought me right up to date. Lovely post.

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  22. I've never been to Berlin, but the museum sounds fantastic. I know my youngest son would have a great time there! I certainly would enjoy the chocolate shop. It sounds like you had a wonderful time.

    I haven't been to a Lidl yet, though I know they are all over in Europe. Word is they are looking to expand here in the U.S. now.

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  23. It's funny but I've never had a desire to go to Berlin, and your photos are just how I imagined it in my head, as grey, damp and a little ugly, but it still does seem fascinating too. And I don't find any cities attractive really.

    Space Invaders was my game!

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  24. I've never been to Berlin either, so now it's crept up my wishlist. Just by the by, it also has a lovely canal and houseboats I'd like to see! But with all these other attractions, maybe a weekend is not enough. Isn't it lovely how going somewhere with children makes you do other things? I really enjoyed this post, Jenny!

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  25. I have been to Germany but not to Berlin. As I read your post and looked at the pictures my thoughts went back to the days of the Berlin Wall and how relieved we were when it was pulled down. Thanks for this, Jenny, and I'm glad your grandson had a great time there.

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  26. I've always wanted to go to Berlin for the history. It does look a bit grim however and Iam not sure the modern architecture helps this.

    The church is awful but like he 'art' the culture that produced it has has a dark history.
    The Prussian inability to laugh, the Great War, Hitler, Soviet territory, all these influence the thinking of the people. Let light shine in, Berlin needs it.

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  27. I have been several times In Germany but never visited Berlin. My brother with my little nephew were in Berlin in July and they made such a good experience like you.
    Wishing you a happy day dearest Jenny
    Olympia

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  28. After my interest being raised I discovered there's isn't much information to be found about Weltkugelbrunnen aka World Fountain.

    http://www.europa-center-berlin.de/en/the-sights/world-fountain.html

    One of the joys of blogging is how much one learns about other places in this world of ours, of history, of current situations, personal and otherwise, etc. Never let it be said that blogging is a waste of one's time...I do not believe this to be so. Your blog is proof that it is not, Jenny.

    Thanks for sharing your wonderful photos and all the information you give with them. :)

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  29. My Dad was in Berlin as an American GI just after World War II. Those soldiers dressed as Americans, I can just hear my Dad say, "they would never have had those belts so low!" Also, I just saw a movie with Marlene Dietrich, and it was filmed in Berlin just after the war, and it showed the bombed out buildings from an airplane. It was just as my Dad said it was....big plies of rubble. Still it was dangerous though...he told me....oh heck, I need to do a post about it! :-)

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  30. Years ago as a family we used to spent our Octobers with German friends in Heilligensee in Berlin. For me learning about and experiencing the city from and with people who lived there was an experience I've never managed to achieve as a tourist. We went both before and after The Wall came down and after it did we visited friends of our friends in East German and it was a very educational time for us all. I've never been back to Berlin since those days and I'm not sure whether I should or not. I have found that revisiting places decades later often results in disappointment.

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  31. And it was in Berlin that I fell in love with Caspar David Friedrich.

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  32. Jenny and I visited Berlin last year and warmed to it straightaway. There seemed to be a very relaxed and sophisticated feel to it, quite different from London stress and Dublin shabbiness. We were interested in the history, despite its grimness, and we visited the Berlin Wall (what's left of it), the Reichstag, the Holocaust Memorial, the Soviet Memorial and the Stasi Museum. All extremely educational. We also enjoyed the Kathe Kollwitz Museum. And lots of wonderful food, wine and coffee! We'll certainly be going back there again.

    Strangely enough, most of the sights you mention above are ones we weren't even aware of (apart from Checkpoint Charlie). We'll have to check them out on our next visit. I'd especially like to see the Weltkugelbrunnen sculptures.

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  33. It’s changed since I visited, as you’d expect, because that was before the Wall came down. I think it, and Checkpoint Charlie, will always be grim.

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  34. "Weird and grim" seems to sum up the city nicely. However, the video game museum looks like lots of fun. I would love to try the giant joystick. And the mosaic inside the church is quite lovely.

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  35. I was thinking about that 70s computer tennis game the other day. Thank you for reminding me the proper name was Pong!

    Fantastic photos. I've been to a couple of places in Germany, but not yet Berlin. So much to see and think about.

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  36. Aha, I love that 1970s living room to play the game in. Talk about an immersive museum experience! And those chocolates look delicious.

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  37. Very interesting post on Berlin. I think it looks both dark and energetic for some reason. The computer museum must have been great to visit - especially with a child with you to enjoy it.

    Darla

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  38. I could stand some more more about Berlin, please.

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  39. I especially like all those sculptures.

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  40. Hello, Jenny! I’ve never been to Berlin but I think this expression nicely fits to my image of Berlin; “…a strength and energy which is reflected in its greyness, hardness and occasional baroque flourishes”. With the quaint atmosphere, bizarre sculptures, interesting museum, moreish chocolates, perfect hotel…. your travel seems to have been a lot of fun. Have healthy and happy autumn ahead.

    Yoko

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  41. A computer games museum, that is one museum my kids wouldn't complain about having to visit!

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  42. Oh wow! That's a cool manhole cover, Berlin! :)

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  43. I have an interesting trip in Berlin through your nice photos. Mario game makes me remember the happy childhood experience.

    My Blog @tefl certification

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  44. I really enjoyed my visit to Berlin and would love to go back again as there's so much I didn't see. I did see Fassbender and Rausch and would definitely like to pay a return visit there:)

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