WartimeNI visit to Berlin 2017

In October 2017, I visited Berlin, Germany to enjoy the music, sport, culture and history of Germany's capital city. There is much to see and do in the city for those with an interest in World War Two.

At 0720hrs on Sunday 22nd October 2017, I left Belfast International Airport in Co. Antrim. Northern Ireland’s main airport was once RAF Aldergrove, a busy airfield throughout the war. The destination was Schoenefeld Airport on the outskirts of Berlin. From there, it was onwards by train to the famous Friedrichstrasse Station.

Day One

Before checking in to the Heart Of Gold Hostel on Johannisstrasse, I visited four historic sites within a few minutes walk.

Friedrichstrasse Station, Berlin, Germany

Friedrichstrasse Station stands at a crossing point on the River Spree in the centre of Berlin. During World War Two it played host to many major events.

The Bunker, Berlin, Germany

Reinhardtstrasse 20, Berlin

Planned by Karl Bonatz and Albert Speer in 1942, The Bunker in Berlin was built as an air raid shelter and has had a long and varied history until today.

Reichstag Building, Berlin, Germany

Platz der Republik 1, Berlin

The Reichstag Building in Berlin is one of the most historic in the German capital. It suffered heavy Allied bombing in 1945 as well as the fire of 1933.

Politicians Memorial, Berlin, Germany

Platz der Republik 1, Berlin

The politicians memorial next to Berlin's Reichstag Building commemorates those members of the Reichstag murdered because of their opposition to the Nazis.

The Reichstag, Berlin — The Reichstag in Berlin is the seat of the German Parliament. It was the site of a fire on 27th February 1933, one month after Adolf Hitler came to power. Photo taken on 22nd October 2017.

Day Two

I spent the second day in Berlin on foot, taking a tour around the Mitte district and visiting many stunning World War Two era sites.

Dorotheenstadt Cemetery, Berlin, Germany

Chausseestrasse 126, Berlin

Dorotheenstadt Cemetery is a Protestant burial ground in Berlin, Germany that dates back to the 18th century. It stands next to the house of Bertolt Brecht.

Invalid’s Cemetery, Berlin, Germany

Scharnhorststrasse 31, Berlin

The Invalid's Cemetery is one of Berlin's oldest burial grounds. Many senior figures are buried here. It was the Prussian Army's traditional resting place.

Moltke Bridge, Berlin, Germany

Moltkebruecke, Berlin

The Moltke Bridge spans the River Spree in Berlin, Germany. Completed in 1891, it was the scene of fierce fighting between German and Soviet troops in 1945.

Soviet War Memorial, Tiergarten, Berlin, Germany

Strasse des 17 Juni 4, Berlin

The Soviet War Memorial in Berlin's Tiergarten in the centre of the city is one of many poignant reminders of the sacrifices made during World War Two.

Brandenburg Gate, Berlin, Germany

Pariser Platz 1, Berlin

Berlin's Brandenburg Gate is one of Europe's most recognisable monuments. Dating back to the 1700s, it was one of the only surviving structures in Pariser Platz after World War Two.

Academy Of Arts, Berlin, Germany

Pariser Platz 4, Berlin

The Academy of Arts in Berlin returned to its former site on Pariser Platz in 2005. Parts of the World War Two era-buildings and a statue belonging to Albert Speer can still be seen.

Holocaust Memorial, Berlin, Germany

Cora-Berliner-Straße 1, Berlin

The famous Holocaust Memorial, Berlin, Germany is known as the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe. It is a powerful sculpture in the heart of the city.

Memorial to Persecuted Homosexuals, Berlin, Germany

Ebertstrasse, Berlin

The Memorial to Homosexuals Persecuted Under Nazism stands on Ebertstrasse, on the edge of the Tiergarten, Berlin near to the famous Holocaust Memorial.

Hitler’s Bunker, Berlin, Germany

In den Ministergaerten, Berlin

The site of Hitler's Bunker or Fuehrerbunker is covered by a car park. Information signs mark the spot where the Fuehrer shot himself on 30th April 1945.

Bebelplatz Book Burning Memorial, Berlin, Germany

Bebelplatz 1, Berlin

Renamed in 1947, Bebelplatz was once known as Opernplatz. Home to Humboldt University, the State Opera, and St. Hedwig's Cathedral, it was also the scene of a memorable Nazi event of 1933.

Neue Wache War Memorial, Berlin, Germany

Unter den Linden 4, Berlin

The Neue Wache Memorial stands in the centre of Berin as a central memorial of the Federal Republic of Germany for victims of war, tyranny and dictatorship.

Block of Women, Berlin, Germany

Rosenstrasse, Berlin

The Block of Women memorial stands in a small park next to Rosenstrasse in Berlin, Germany. It commemorates a momentous occasion in February 1943 when women stood up to the Nazi regime.

Alexanderplatz, Berlin, Germany

Alexanderplatz, Berlin

Alexanderplatz in Berlin is one of the world's most visited public squares and although it doesn't boast the same attractions as New York's Times Square, it is a must-visit attraction.

Detlev-Rohwedder-Haus, Berlin, Germany

Wilhelmstrasse 97, Berlin

Detlev-Rohwedder-Haus in Berlin is often known as the Air Ministry Building. This imposing example of Nazi-era architecture still stands on Wilhelmstrasse.

Topography of Terror, Berlin, Germany

Niederkirchnerstraße 8, Berlin

Berlin's Topography of Terror exhibition stands where the headquarters of the Gestapo, high command of the SS and Reich Security Main Office once stood.

Day Three

Travelling by U-Bahn and S-Bahn in Berlin is cheap and easy to do. A travel card permits travel as far out as the Olympic Stadium.

1939-1945 Commonwealth Cemetery, Berlin, Germany

Heerstrasse 139, Berlin, Charlottenburg

The 1939-1945 Commonwealth Cemetery at Heerstrasse, Charlottenburg, Berlin is the final resting place of twenty men with connections to Northern Ireland.

Olympic Stadium, Berlin, Germany

Olympischer Platz 3, Berlin

Built by Werner March for the 1939 Summer Olympics, the Olympic Stadium in Berlin is now home to soccer and athletics events in the German capital.

Kaiser Wilhelm Church, Berlin, Germany

Breitscheidplatz, Berlin

Kaiser Wilhelm Church in Berlin, Germany is a Protestant Evangelical Church. The building still bears the scars of Allied bombing of the city during WWII.

German Resistance Memorial, Berlin, Germany

Stauffenbergstrasse 13-14, Berlin

The German Resistance Memorial stands in the Bendlerblock on Stauffenberstrasse, Berlin. The courtyard was the site of the execution of those involved in the Valkyrie plot.

Humboldthain Flak Tower, Berlin, Germany

Hochstrasse 5, Berlin

Parts of the Humboldthain Flak Tower still stand overlooking Berlin. Today, guided tours take tourists through the impressive WWII-era defensive structure.

Day Four

More than halfway through my week in Berlin, there was still much too including exploring the historic Hackeschermarkt.

Anne Frank Centre, Berlin, Germany

The Anne Frank Centre in Berlin dates back to 1994. Its current location in Hackescher Markt is in a historic building shared with the Otto Weidt Workshop for the Blind museum.

Otto Weidt Museum, Berlin, Germany

Rosenthaler Strasse 39, Berlin

Otto Weidt made brushes and his Berlin workshop hid many blind and deaf Jews from the Nazis during World War Two. Today, its a museum to tell the story.

Memorial to Polish Soldiers and German Anti-Fascists, Berlin, Germany

Virchowstrasse, Berlin

At the northern edge of Volkspark Friedrichshain, Berlin stands an impressive monument dedicated to the memory of Polish soldiers and German anti-fascists.

Bunker Mountain, Friedrichshain, Berlin, Germany

Volkspark Friedrichshain, Berlin

A large and small bunker mountain dominate the landscape of Volkspark Friedrichshain, Berlin. These man-made hills were built from destroyed WWII bunkers.

Friedrichshain Demolished Bunker — Bundesarchiv Image 183-M1203-316. The debris pile under construction around the demolished bunker in Friedrichshain, Berlin. Photo by Otto Donath in August 1949.

Day Five

Visiting the Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp is worth taking a whole day out. Tour guides offer packages in a range of languages for visitors.

Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp, Oranienburg, Germany

The Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp in Oranienburg near Berlin mainly held political prisoners between 1936 and the end of the Nazi Third Reich in 1945.

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Day Six

My last full day in Berlin offered a chance to experience the stunning Soviet War Memorial at Treptower Park.

Treptower Park Soviet Memorial, Berlin, Germany

The memorial in Treptower Park is a commemoration of the sacrifice made by Soviet troops as well as a mass grave for many killed in the Battle for Berlin.

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There is so much to see and do in Berlin, especially if you’re interested in the history of World War Two or the Cold War. My visit in October 2017 covered a lot of ground but I will return someday to visit more of the beautiful German capital.

Still on my must-see list is the Wannsee Conference Centre, the Luftwaffe Museum at Gatow, and Templehofer Feld. If you know of anywhere else I should visit, please get in touch.