Cathedrals, Museums, and TV Towers

Cathedrals, Museums, and TV Towers

On our second day in Berlin we did more exploring of the historic sites. I believe that you could stay in Berlin for weeks and still not see all the history it has to offer. 

First, we saw St. Marien Church is the second-oldest church in Berlin and the only medieval church that still holds regular services. Construction began in 1270 and after a fire in 1380 it was restored almost entirely back to its original design. It was a gorgeous church. I mean in the distance you can see other historic buildings, but it seemed like it just didn’t quite fit in. It was pretty cool though because there were people going into the church for a service. 

We realized that we somehow missed the giant Fernsehturn (TV Tower). We went back to take in the giantness up close. But we decided against going up in the tower to see Berlin from the top. It was built between 1965 and 1969 by the German Democratic Republic. It is the tallest structure in all of Germany. (They say this makes it easy to find, but I think only from a distance) It is 1,207 feet tall including the antenna. It is pretty cool. You really can spot it from anywhere in Berlin except when you right next to it because it is so tall. 

Then we saw the Rotes Rathaus  (Red Town Hall). This is the town hall of Berlin that is home to the mayor and government of Berlin. The building was built between 1861 and 1869. It was actually modeled after the town hall in Poland. The building was damaged during World War II. Many of the buildings of East Berlin were damaged during the war. The Town Hall was rebuilt between 1951 and 1956. 

Then we walked through the Alexanderplatz (Alexander Plaza). This square was an experiment in socialist urban aesthetics in the 1970’s. The square houses the World Time Clock, a continually rotating installation that shows the time around the globe. There was a cute Christmas Market in it. But because it was Christmas Eve unfortunately it closed early and we couldn’t enjoy any of the Christmas goodies. 

We walked over to Museumsinsel (Museum Island). This is the name given to the northern half of an Island in the Spree River in Berlin. It is home to 5 museums internationally significant museums all of which are part of the Berlin State Museums. But on the way we saw the site of the 1st Synagogue in Berlin. It has been destroyed and in its place there is a memorial. 

Just chillin with a bench man at the memorial

The first museum we saw on Museum Island was the Alte Nationalgalerie (Old National Gallery). It houses Berlin’s collection of Neoclassical, Romantic, Biedermeier, Impressionist, and early Modernist artwork from the 18th, 19th, and 20th Centuries. But I personally think the building a lone is art. Also, the grounds around the buildings were gorgeous. 

Also, I thought this sculpture was super cool. It was right next to the Museum. 

The next building we went and looked at is definitely one of the most famous buildings in Berlin. The Berliner Dom (Berlin Cathedral) is an evangelical church on Museum Island. The cathedral was built between 1745 and 1747 and is the largest church in Berlin. It is used for church services, concerts, and other events. The cathedral was damaged by a bomb during WWII and was reconstructed in 1975. However it wasn’t reopened until 1993 because the interior reconstruction wasn’t completed until then. 

The view from Museum Island.

We wandered on to go hang out with Marx and Engels. This is one of the most famous statues in Berlin. The park that the statue is housed in was created by the former German Democratic Republic in 1986. The statue represents the failure of Communism. 

We walked past another Christmas Market before heading in for the night. Berlin really is a beautiful place.