Posts Tagged ‘Berlin’

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Wittelsbach and Luxembourg Dynasties

Monday, October 7th, 2013

Following the extinction of the House of Ascania in 1320, Brandenburg – and therefore Berlin – came under the control of the Wittelsbach and Luxembourg Dynasties. In 1323, the King of Germany, Louis IV of the House of Wittelsbach, granted the territory to his eldest son, Louis V, “The Brandenburger.” After the King’s death, The Brandenburger gave the margraviate to his two half-brothers, Louis VI, “The Roman” and Otto V, “The Bavarian,” in exchange for the sole rule over Upper Bavaria. The brothers succeeded in establishing Brandenburg as an electorate of the Holy Roman Empire. Thereafter, they ruled as Kurfuersten – Prince-electors – of Brandenburg. Following the death of “The Roman” in 1365, his brother Otto neglected government and pawned part of the margraviate to a crusading military order, the Teutonic Knights.

In 1323, Louis IV grated the Margraviate of Brandenburg to his son Louis V

Tomb of Louis IV of the House of Wittelsbach
Frauenkirche, Munich

Fifty years later, the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles IV, forced Otto V to abdicate and installed his own son, Wenceslaus, from the House of Luxembourg. Subsequently, The Margraviate of Brandenburg became the object of a long and fierce feud between the Wittelsbach and Luxembourg Dynasties. The effects of these disputes devastated the region. Finally, the people of Berlin-Coelln appealed to the Holy Roman Emperor for assistance. He, in turn, appointed Friedrich V von Hohenzollern as their special protector.

When Wenceslaus was elected King of Germany and Bohemia, his brother, Sigismund, took control of Brandenburg. Sigismund eventually gave the territory to his cousin Jobst as security for a substantial loan. But Sigismund later regained control and was elected King of Germany. In 1415 the Electorate of Brandenburg was officially handed to the House of Hohenzollern, which would rule until World Word I – for almost five hundred years.

 

For a sneak peek at the first 20+ pages of my memoir, Walled-In: A West Berlin Girl’s Journey to Freedom, click “Download a free excerpt” on my home page and feel free to follow my blog about anything German: historic and current events, people, places and food.

Walled-In is my story of growing up in Berlin during the Cold War. Juxtaposing the events that engulfed Berlin during the Berlin Blockade, the Berlin Airlift, the Berlin Wall and Kennedy’s Berlin visit with the struggle against my equally insurmountable parental walls, Walled-In is about freedom vs. conformity, conflict vs. harmony, domination vs. submission, loyalty vs. betrayal.

 

 

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The Ascanian Dynasty

Monday, September 30th, 2013

Coelln and Berlin grew rapidly during the Ascanian Dynasty. The House of Ascania reigned from 1157 to 1320. Albert the Bear, the first Margrave of Brandenburg (which includes Berlin) inherited the territory upon the death of the childless Slavic Prince Pribislav. In short order Albert the Bear solidified his rule and led a number of military campaigns against the Slavic population that co-inhabited the area along with Germanic peoples. He encouraged Germanic migration and subjugated the Slaves to Christianity. Upon his death, control over the territory went to his descendants in succession: Otto I (Albert’s son), Otto II (son of Otto I), Albert II (brother of Otto II), and finally John I and Otto III (sons of Albert II and co-rulers).

Albert the Bear, founder of the Ascanian Dynasty

House Order of Albert the Bear
first Margrave of Brandenburg
1157-1170

During the years of John and Otto’s co-rule, the Margraviate saw massive geographic expansion. The brothers were instrumental in the rapid development of Coelln and Berlin by conferring special privileges upon the twin towns, such as staple rights. These were important rights sometimes given to selected ports. Staple rights required passing merchant ships to unload their cargo and display it for sale for a specified period before being allowed to reload any unsold goods and to continue their journey. Possessing staple rights gave Coelln and Berlin important economic advantages over other nearby ports, such as the much older fortification of Spandau.

In 1258 John and Otto divided the territory into Brandenburg Stendal and Brandenburg Salzwedel. From 1266 to 1319 the four sons of John I (John II, Conrad, Otto IV, and Henry) and the four descendants of Otto III (John III, Otto V, Otto VI, and Albert III) shared the title of “Margrave of Brandenburg” and ruled jointly. With the death of John V In 1317, the last grandson of Otto III, the Ottonian line died out. And when Henry II, eleven-year-old grandson of John I, died three years later that line became extinct as well.

 

For a sneak peek at the first 20+ pages of my memoir, Walled-In: A West Berlin Girl’s Journey to Freedom, click “Download a free excerpt” on my home page and feel free to follow my blog about anything German: historic or current events, people, places or food.

Walled-In is my story of growing up in Berlin during the Cold War. Juxtaposing the events that engulfed Berlin during the Berlin Blockade, the Berlin Airlift, the Berlin Wall and Kennedy’s Berlin visit with the struggle against my equally insurmountable parental walls, Walled-In is about freedom vs. conformity, conflict vs. harmony, domination vs. submission, loyalty vs. betrayal.

 

 

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Coelln and Berlin

Monday, September 23rd, 2013

During the 13th century, itinerant merchants founded two trading posts, on opposite sites of the Spree River, Coelln and Berlin. Coelln was first cited in a 1237 deed. The date is commonly regarded as the origin of Berlin, although the city is not mentioned until 1244.

Cölln is first cited in 1237, Berlin in 1244

Berlin (red), Coelln (yellow) Two settlements on opposite sides of the River Spree

The twin settlements were located between the already established towns of Spandau to the northwest and Koepenick to the southeast. Since Coelln and Berlin were on the trading route between Madgeburg and Frankfurt/Oder, they grew quickly. Initially, the Muehlendamm – Mill Dam – that crossed the River Spree served as the only connection between them. Each settlement had its own town hall and mayor. Relations were often tense. When a fire swallowed up a large part of Coelln, the people of Berlin declined to help. But they begged Coelln for assistance only two years later when their own town was burning. An outbreak of the Bubonic plague in Coelln caused Berlin to block the Mill Dam in order to keep the contagions in check. But when a Berlin woman spotted a dead body on the far side of the causeway to Cölln, she climbed over the barriers to steal his jacket. By doing so, she spread the epidemic to Berlin.

In 1307 Coelln and Berlin merged into a single town to improve the inhabitants’ prospects for defending against the sovereign. They constructed a second crossing, the Lange Bruecke – Long Bridge which was later renamed the Rathausbruecke -Town Hall Bridge. It still exists today and is Berlin’s second oldest bridge. A bridge was also constructed to replace the Mill Dam. It was called the Muehlendammbruecke and is now Berlin’s oldest bridge, located between Gertraudenstrasse and Molkenmarkt.

The original two settlements were situated just southwest of today’s Alexanderplatz and the Nikolai section. While Berlin grew into a cosmopolitan city, Coelln became part of its historic core. Its northern peak has become known as Museum Island and its southern part as Fischerinsel – Fishermen’s Island. Coelln’s name survives only in Berlin’s southeastern borough of Neukoelln.

 

For a sneak peek at the first 20+ pages of my memoir, Walled-In: A West Berlin Girl’s Journey to Freedom, click “Download a free excerpt” on my home page and feel free to follow my blog about anything German: historic and current events, people, places and food.

Walled-In is my story of growing up in Berlin during the Cold War. Juxtaposing the events that engulfed Berlin during the Berlin Blockade, the Berlin Airlift, the Berlin Wall and Kennedy’s Berlin visit with the struggle against my equally insurmountable parental walls, Walled-In is about freedom vs. conformity, conflict vs. harmony, domination vs. submission, loyalty vs. betrayal.

 

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Berlin in antiquity

Monday, September 16th, 2013

Berlin in antiquity – what was it like? What do we know about that period? As early as the first centuries of the Common Era, various Germanic tribes inhabited the banks of the Spree and Havel. Both are rivers that flow through modern day Berlin. During the course of the Great European Migration, many of these Germanic tribes left their native territories and moved west toward the Rhine River and south toward the Western Roman Empire. The Western Roman Empire was huge and encompassed today’s Spain, France, England, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, parts of Yugoslavia, and parts of North Africa. Slavic peoples from central and Eastern Europe moved into the vacated lands.

As the vacated lands turned predominantly Slavic, two of these Slavic tribes settled in the Berlin area. Around 720, the Hevelli established themselves along the River Havel. They founded the trading post of Spandau, now a borough of Berlin. The Sprevane put down roots in the vicinity of today’s suburb of Koepenick, close to the River Spree. Two hundred years later, Slavic tribes settled the area that today represents the core of today’s Berlin.

Otto I reigned as a German King from 936 to 973

Otto the Great
founder of the Holy Roman Empire

Two hundred years later, in 948, Otto I, also known as Otto the Great, founded the Holy Roman Empire. In 962, he was crowned Emperor of the Romans by Pope John XII. The Holy Roman Empire is not synonymous with the Western or Eastern Roman Empires, however. The former proclaimed itself to be the successor to the Western Roman Empire. It quickly established German control over the largely Slavic inhabitants of the region. The territory of the Holy Roman Empire centered on the Kingdom of Germany along with several small neighboring lands, including the Kingdom of Italy. The Emperor’s appointee, Markgraf Gero, led several crusades against the Slaves until they rebelled against German overlordship in 983. Then the region, once again, returned to Slavic control.

 

For a sneak peek at the first 20+ pages of my memoir, Walled-In: A West Berlin Girl’s Journey to Freedom, click “Download a free excerpt” on the home page of http://www.walled-in-berlin.com. Walled-In is a story of growing up in Berlin during the Cold War.

 

 

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Berlin’s KaDeWe

Monday, August 26th, 2013

Berlin’s KaDeWe is Europe’s second-largest department store. The upscale Kaufhaus des Westens (Department Store of the West) is located in Berlin, Germany, and generally referred to by its abbreviation, KaDeWe. The store is located along the Tauentzienstrasse, a major shopping boulevard near the center of the former West Berlin.

When Berlin’s KaDeWe first opened its doors in 1907, it immediately set new standards for product variety and service. Shoppers could find almost everything in the 260,000 square foot store – ranging from everyday necessities to luxury items. Arrival of the KaDeWe changed the Tauentzienstrasse from a quiet residential street to one of the most famous boulevards in the city.

By 1930, Berlin’s KaDeWe was doing so much business that the store was enlarged. But three years later, during the National Socialist era, the predominantly Jewish owners of Berlin’s KaDeWe were forced to sell the store because Jewish ownership had become illegal. Ten years later, during World War II, a shot-down American bomber crashed into the store, and the KaDeWe almost burned to the ground. In 1950, Berliners celebrated the reopening of the first two floors, and in the mid 50s, construction of all seven floors was complete. By now, Berlin’s KaDeWe also featured a gourmet floor, which quickly became a mecca for lovers of epicurean delights. The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 brought record-breaking numbers of shoppers and prompted the KaDeWe to add another floor. The sales area now expanded to over 645,000 square feet.

Main entrance to Berlin's KaDeWe along the Tauentzienstrasse

Main entrance of Berlin’s KaDeWe along the Tauentzienstrasse

Today, Berlin’s KaDeWe has eight floors, each one focused on a different type of merchandise. The ground floor holds beauty accessories, salons and spas. The 1st floor is dedicated to men’s apparel, the 2nd floor to women’s fashion. On the 3rd floor you find luxury shoes and leather goods. The 4th floor is dedicated to furniture and design items. The 5th floor contains arts, electronics, toys, and office supplies. And the 6th and 7th floors are entirely devoted to delicatessen and gourmet counters filling an area the size of two football fields. The top floor includes a winter garden with a 1000-seat restaurant.

Since 1907, the same morning ritual is followed. Shortly before 10 a.m. the original iron gate is lowered, allowing customers to embark on their exciting shopping adventure. Two thousand employees stand ready to fill each customer’s needs. When visiting Berlin, the KaDeWe is a must.

 

For a sneak peek at the first 20+ pages of my memoir, Walled-In: A West Berlin Girl’s Journey to Freedom, click “Download a free excerpt” on my home page and feel free to follow my blog about anything German: historic or current events, people, places or food.

Walled-In is my story of growing up in Berlin during the Cold War. Juxtaposing the events that engulfed Berlin during the Berlin Blockade, the Berlin Airlift, the Berlin Wall and Kennedy’s Berlin visit with the struggle against my equally insurmountable parental walls, Walled-In is about freedom vs. conformity, conflict vs. harmony, domination vs. submission, loyalty vs. betrayal.

 

 

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Tropical Islands Resort in Krausnick

Monday, August 5th, 2013

Since 2004 Germans can extend their traditionally short summers by checking into the Tropical Islands Resort in Krausnick. Located in a former airship hanger for zeppelins, the tropical theme park is located just 37 miles from Berlin’s city center. It stands on the site of the former Airfield Brand-Briesen. In 1938, the Nazis began development of the airfield. The Soviet Army occupied it after World War II. In 1992, following German reunification, the site was returned to the German Federal government.

Tropical Islands Resort in Krausnick

Former airship hanger turned into a Tropical Islands Resort

Turned into a theme park at a cost of cost approximately 78 million euros, the hanger is the biggest freestanding hall in the world. Its inside air temperature is held at 80°F, humidity at 64%. Tropical Islands Resort is open around the clock every day of the year and allows overnight stays. Visitors may choose a variety of admission options, which include lodges and guest rooms along with tent rentals and simply crashing on the beach with a mat and blanket. The maximum number of visitors the park can accommodate per day is 6,000.

Tropical Islands Resort in Krausnick

Tropical Islands Resort lodge with waterfall

The Tropical Islands Resort in Krausnick is home to the biggest indoor rainforest in the world with 50,000 plants and many birds. The park’s tropical sea is designed to look like the waters of a coral island and includes 660 feet of sandy beach. An indoor landscaped water park the size of four football fields contains pools, lagoons, water slides, waterfalls, whirlpools, and saunas. Visitors can enjoy replicas of buildings from Thailand, Borneo, Samoa and Bali, a number of bars, restaurants, and evening and day shows. A 43,000 square foot children’s play area is also available.

For more information, contact tropical-islands.de.

 

For a sneak peek at the first 20+ pages of my memoir, Walled-In: A West Berlin Girl’s Journey to Freedom, click “Download a free excerpt” on my home page and feel free to follow my blog about anything German: historic and current events, people, places and food.

Walled-In is my story of growing up in Berlin during the Cold War. Juxtaposing the events that engulfed Berlin during the Berlin Blockade, the Berlin Airlift, the Berlin Wall and Kennedy’s Berlin visit with the struggle against my equally insurmountable parental walls, Walled-In is about freedom vs. conformity, conflict vs. harmony, domination vs. submission, loyalty vs. betrayal.

 

 

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Berlin has Water to Spare

Thursday, July 4th, 2013

Berlin has water to spare. Wouldn’t we like to be able to say that of Southern California? There are several reasons for Berlin’s abundance of water: To start with, the water table of the German capital lies only a few feet below the surface in some instances. We can’t duplicate that. But there is one aspect we can try to emulate: Berlin is using far less water today than it did twenty years ago. According to Stefan Natz, representative of the Berlin Waterworks, total water consumption during 2011 and 2012 combined was less than that in 1989!

Natz explained that, water consumption has dropped greatly in Berlin after inefficient industrial firms closed their doors following reunification in 1989. But the credit also goes to the manufactures, which have made appliances more efficient. And finally, consumers deserve a large part of the credit. They use far less water to shower and wash now than they did twenty years ago. (see Annette Koegel – www.tagesspiegel.de)

Ironically, there is also a downside to the decrease in water use. The reduction of water consumption has allowed the groundwater table to rise. About 50 public buildings in Berlin are now threatened by water trying to invade their basements. The most prominent among them is the Rote Rathaus (red city hall). Not only is the Rote Rathaus one of Berlin’s historic landmarks, but constructed between 1861 and 1869 and clad in red clinker bricks, it is also the seat of Berlin’s city government.

constructed in 1861 to 1869

Rotes Rathaus near the Alexanderplatz

Berlin has water to spare. Wouldn’t it be nice if those of us in Southern California could say the same?

 

For a sneak peek at the first 20+ pages of my memoir, Walled-In: A West Berlin Girl’s Journey to Freedom, click “Download a free excerpt” on my home page and feel free to follow my blog about anything German: historic and current events, people, places and food.

Walled-In is my story of growing up in Berlin during the Cold War. Juxtaposing the events that engulfed Berlin during the Berlin Blockade, the Berlin Airlift, the Berlin Wall and Kennedy’s Berlin visit with the struggle against my equally insurmountable parental walls, Walled-In is about freedom vs. conformity, conflict vs. harmony, domination vs. submission, loyalty vs. betrayal.

 

 

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50th Anniversary of JFK in Berlin

Thursday, June 27th, 2013

Yesterday, we celebrated the 50th anniversary of JFK in Berlin, Germany. Fifty years ago, on June 26, 1963, US President John F. Kennedy declared, “Ich bin ein Berliner” in front of West Berlin’s city hall. A crowd of 450,000 wanted to hug him, kiss him, keep him, adopt him. JFK delivered his speech during the height of the Cold War. I was standing among those people and will always remember the synergy that connected us. Never before or after this event did I experience a similar moment during which people of all ages and economic status melt together like that. Students, seniors, blue-collar workers, professionals, men and women, young and old pressed shoulder to shoulder in one big patchwork.

US President John F. Kennedy, Berlin's Mayor Willy Brandt, and German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer - Photo © J. Elke Ertle

US President John F. Kennedy, Berlin’s Mayor Willy Brandt, and German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer
in Berlin during Kennedy visit in 1963
Photo © J. Elke Ertle, www.walled-in-berlin.com

Many years later, a myth popped up. In the ensuring years, it gathered speed. The myth was that John F. Kennedy had said he was a doughnut when he said, “Ich bin ein Berliner.” Born a Berliner, let me assure you that there is no truth to this myth. Although a Berliner can also be a jelly-filled doughnut, anyone born and raised in Berlin considers him- or herself a Berliner. The same thing would be true of a native of the city of Hamburg. He would be considered a Hamburger, and that would not mean a patty of ground meat between the two halves of a bun, slathered with relish and ketchup. I don’t believe there was one person among the 450,000 in front of city hall who even fleetingly thought “doughnut!”

 

For a sneak peek at the first 20+ pages of my memoir, Walled-In: A West Berlin Girl’s Journey to Freedom, click “Download a free excerpt” on my home page and feel free to follow my blog about anything German: historic and current events, people, places and food.

Walled-In is my story of growing up in Berlin during the Cold War. Juxtaposing the events that engulfed Berlin during the Berlin Blockade, the Berlin Airlift, the Berlin Wall and Kennedy’s Berlin visit with the struggle against my equally insurmountable parental walls, Walled-In is about freedom vs. conformity, conflict vs. harmony, domination vs. submission, loyalty vs. betrayal.

 

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John F. Kennedy spoke in Berlin

Wednesday, June 26th, 2013

On this day in history fifty years ago today, on June 26, 1963, John F. Kennedy spoke in Berlin. I stood in the crowd of 450,000 in front of Schoeneberger Rathaus to hear him speak. It was an experience I will never forget. Below is his speech (www.historyplace.com)

“I am proud to come to this city as the guest of your distinguished Mayor, who has symbolized throughout the world the fighting spirit of West Berlin. And I am proud to visit the Federal Republic with your distinguished Chancellor who for so many years has committed Germany to democracy and freedom and progress, and to come here in the company of my fellow American, General Clay, who has been in this city during its great moments of crisis and will come again if ever needed.

Two thousand years ago the proudest boast was “civis Romanus sum.” Today, in the world of freedom, the proudest boast is “Ich bin ein Berliner.”

I appreciate my interpreter translating my German!

There are many people in the world who really don’t understand, or say they don’t, what is the great issue between the free world and the Communist world. Let them come to Berlin. There are some who say that communism is the wave of the future. Let them come to Berlin. And there are some who say in Europe and elsewhere we can work with the Communists. Let them come to Berlin. And there are even a few who say that it is true that communism is an evil system, but it permits us to make economic progress. Lass’ sie nach Berlin kommen. Let them come to Berlin.

the cheering crowd in front of Schoeneberger Rathaus

the cheering crowd in front of Schoeneberger Rathaus

Freedom has many difficulties and democracy is not perfect, but we have never had to put a wall up to keep our people in, to prevent them from leaving us. I want to say, on behalf of my countrymen, who live many miles away on the other side of the Atlantic, who are far distant from you, that they take the greatest pride that they have been able to share with you, even from a distance, the story of the last 18 years. I know of no town, no city, that has been besieged for 18 years that still lives with the vitality and the force, and the hope and the determination of the city of West Berlin. While the wall is the most obvious and vivid demonstration of the failures of the Communist system, for all the world to see, we take no satisfaction in it, for it is, as your Mayor has said, an offense not only against history but an offense against humanity, separating families, dividing husbands and wives and brothers and sisters, and dividing a people who wish to be joined together.

What is true of this city is true of Germany–real, lasting peace in Europe can never be assured as long as one German out of four is denied the elementary right of free men, and that is to make a free choice. In 18 years of peace and good faith, this generation of Germans has earned the right to be free, including the right to unite their families and their nation in lasting peace, with good will to all people. You live in a defended island of freedom, but your life is part of the main. So let me ask you as I close, to lift your eyes beyond the dangers of today, to the hopes of tomorrow, beyond the freedom merely of this city of Berlin, or your country of Germany, to the advance of freedom everywhere, beyond the wall to the day of peace with justice, beyond yourselves and ourselves to all mankind.

Freedom is indivisible, and when one man is enslaved, all are not free. When all are free, then we can look forward to that day when this city will be joined as one and this country and this great Continent of Europe in a peaceful and hopeful globe. When that day finally comes, as it will, the people of West Berlin can take sober satisfaction in the fact that they were in the front lines for almost two decades.
All free men, wherever they may live, are citizens of Berlin, and, therefore, as a free man, I take pride in the words ‘Ich bin ein Berliner‘.”

 

For a sneak peek at the first 20+ pages of my memoir, Walled-In: A West Berlin Girl’s Journey to Freedom, click “Download a free excerpt” on my home page and feel free to follow my blog about anything German: historic or current events, people, places or food.

Walled-In is my story of growing up in Berlin during the Cold War. Juxtaposing the events that engulfed Berlin during the Berlin Blockade, the Berlin Airlift, the Berlin Wall and Kennedy’s Berlin visit with the struggle against my equally insurmountable parental walls, Walled-In is about freedom vs. conformity, conflict vs. harmony, domination vs. submission, loyalty vs. betrayal.

 

 

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President Barack Obama

Monday, June 24th, 2013

President Barack Obama spoke in Berlin this week. The event took place on June 19, the hottest day of the year so far. After weeks of heavy rains, the sun shone brightly. Not a cloud in the sky. Who could have guessed? He had to deliver his 30-minute open-air address, standing in the blazing sun, sans shade of any kind. Likewise, 4,500 guests sat on their folding chairs in the Pariser Platz, on the east side of the Brandenburg Gate. Temperatures had hit 92° and felt more like 97° in Berlin’s humid continental climate. No shade was to be had for speaker or guests.

Obama Spoke in Berlin

Obama Spoke at Berlin’s Brandenburger Tor

Despite the intense heat and uncomfortable circumstances, Obama delivered a spirited talk. He covered the history of Berlin and Germany, referenced the milestone speeches of President John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan, and touched upon climate change, renewable energy, International responsibility, and disarmament of nuclear weapons.

Later, some commentators suggested that Berliners must have “cooled” to President Obama because of the paltry attendance of a mere 4,500 guests. People, people come on. Be fair. It is true that Kennedy drew a crowd of 450,000 in Berlin in 1963, and Democratic candidate Obama attracted over 200,000 in 2008. But both spoke to the public at large, not to a limited number of invited guests. Times have changed. While Kennedy still drove through Berlin in an open limousine, today’s presidents are protected behind bulletproof glass. Besides, President Obama was to deliver his address to 6,000 guests, many of them up in years. Do you blame the 1,500 who chose not expose themselves to the relentless heat? The small number of attendees at President Obama’s June 19 speech is hardly proof that his popularity in Berlin is waning. Maybe it is, but please people, use real, not manufactured, facts to argue the point.

 

For a sneak peek at the first 20+ pages of my memoir, Walled-In: A West Berlin Girl’s Journey to Freedom, click “Download a free excerpt” on my home page and feel free to follow my blog about anything German: historic and current events, people, places and food.

Walled-In is my story of growing up in Berlin during the Cold War. Juxtaposing the events that engulfed Berlin during the Berlin Blockade, the Berlin Airlift, the Berlin Wall and Kennedy’s Berlin visit with the struggle against my equally insurmountable parental walls, Walled-In is about freedom vs. conformity, conflict vs. harmony, domination vs. submission, loyalty vs. betrayal.

 

 

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