Steps Into the Past
Oops, published this too soon. Here’s the full post…
After the video game museum, Buds quickly abandoned the idea of a beer due to the long lines and we headed off to share some of the sights we had seen on our Berlin tour with the rest of our team.
We popped into a very nice grocery store to refresh and revive with cold drinks and a little snack. The heat really made being out for hours tough.
Our energy boosted, we headed back out.
The first stop was the Memorial to the Murdered Jews Of Europe.
Monkey and I talked about how we liked that sitting on the markers (not standing) was okay. This place is one that invites contemplation. Sitting and digesting and feeling here… that’s part of the experience.
Buster thanked us for bringing him here.
Having children who can understand and process the gravity of this type of place means a lot to me. I learn from their insights, and I’m grateful for that.
A tour walked by as Monkey and I visited and its tour guide mentioned a controversy around the building of the memorial.
Creation of the memorial included plans for cleaning the monuments with the inevitable graffiti that would follow. The company that created the spray-on coating which would allow graffiti to be washed off with soap and water was connected to the company that made Zyklon B, the gas used in concentration camps.
At first the foundation in charge of the memorial building cancelled the contract.
After more discussion and research, they reinstated the company.
Again, I’m so impressed by this willingness to work through the horrifying past. To own up to the mistakes, even if you weren’t directly responsible for them, and to have the hard conversations about how to move past and learn from those traumas.
So, so much our country can learn.
From here we walked to the Brandenburg Gate. It was fun to hear Buds share the stories our guide told us yesterday about the Prussian Empire, Napoleon, and the “trophy” of the statue atop the gate and its triumphant return to Berlin.
This next photo shows the Reichstag Building. It’s where the German Parliament meets and I love the look and symbology of a glass building where constituents can look down upon their government doing its job.
We saw the American Embassy on our way through the square in front of the gate, hopped, down onto the metro and headed home.
After dropping off our hot, sweaty companions, Buds and I headed back out to pick up dinner for everyone.
Poke bowl or kebabs were a hit with everyone.
Another day done.
