Berlin: Beyond the Landmarks

Walking through Berlin was a powerful, at times upsetting, but deeply moving experience. From memorials to museums, we learned so much about the city's complex history, especially during World War II.

This blog is going to feel a little different than others because I really wanted to take the time on this trip to understand the history. This part of the trip was hard for me but something I needed to do, and it left me with a deeper sense of empathy and perspective that I’ll carry with me long after leaving Berlin.

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Day Eight: Berlin, Germany 🇩🇪 

📍Reichstag Building

📍Brandenburg Gate

📍Holocaust Memorial

📍Memorial to Homosexuals Persecuted Under Nazism

📍Topography of Terror Museum

📍Tried Currywurst (A very yummy hotdog)

📍Checkpoint Charlie

📍Bebelplatz & Memorial to the Book Burning 

📍Berlin Wall MemorialAlexanderplatz

📍9 Burgermeister for dinner

After a rough night and check-in at our hostel, we woke up with fresh minds and headed out on our self-guided walking tour of Berlin. We grabbed a bite to eat at a very cute café before making our way to the Reichstag Building and the Brandenburg Gate. During this walk, I really began to prepare myself for the things I was about to see, learn, and read. I am a fairly emotional person, and history like this truly affects my heart, but it’s something I’ve needed to do.

As we continued our walk, we stopped at the Holocaust Memorial and the Memorial to Homosexuals Persecuted Under Nazism to pay our respects. My heart felt heavy seeing the concrete blocks scattered across the memorial, but I took the time to reflect on those who suffered and lost their lives during such a horrific time in history.

When it started to rain, we decided to stop by the Topography of Terror Museum and take our time walking through and listening to the audio tour. This museum was a must-visit during our time in Berlin, and I would recommend everyone take the time to learn from it. There was so much I didn’t know from school or documentaries, and it provided an opportunity to truly understand the history.

Our last few stops before dinner were Checkpoint Charlie, Bebelplatz and the Memorial to the Book Burning, and the Berlin Wall Memorial. The Memorial to the Book Burning was a little difficult to see as the window hadn’t been cleaned in a while, so while standing with a few other visitors, I spent time reading about the memorial instead.

We met a lovely couple from England and had a great conversation, discussing how as a society we must ensure that nothing like this ever happens again. But of course, acknowledged that this kind of hatred still exists worldwide.

After a day filled with education, reflection, and a few emotional moments while trying to process everything I had seen, we grabbed a bite to eat and headed back to our hostel for an early night.

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Day Nine: Berlin, Germany  🇩🇪

Today we visited the Sachsenhausen Memorial & Museum. Walking through the grounds of what was once a concentration camp was a deeply upsetting experience but something I have wanted to do since learning about the holocaust in school. It's a place that confronts you with the harsh realities of history and the unimaginable suffering that took place there.

Being here reminded me of the importance of remembering the past-not just to honour the lives of those who were lost but to ensure that the lessons from history are never forgotten or repeated.

This visit wasn't easy, but it was necessary. It's a reminder of our shared responsibility to stand against hatred, injustice, and oppression in all forms.

These past two days have been filled with so many emotions, but I'm beyond grateful we added Berlin to our trip. It's been amazing to learn, reflect, and experience firsthand the history I've only ever read about in school.

The following day we took a 6 hour train to Munich, Germany.