Student Blogs/Rachael in Germany
September was a month of exploration. Since the weather continued to stay in the low 10 degrees, I took the opportunity to discover and rediscover what I could outdoors.
My favourite place I have found so far is the Tiergarten Park. This park used to be hunting grounds, but in the 18th century, Frederick II had the area converted into a public park. Nowadays, this 5.17km2 park is mostly gardens with paths for bikers, joggers and wanderers. Within the area, people can find the Reichstag (the parliament building), Schloβ Bellevue (the official residence of the president of Germany), Siegessäule, Brandenburger Tor and many smaller monuments and statues. Here are some of my pictures of Tiergarten:
These final photos are not actually from the Tiergarten; however I feel that these landmarks are equally important pieces of both German and Berlin history.
Unlike most of Berlin, this memorial does not have any graffiti. This is due to the fact that the blocks have been treated so that nothing will stick to the sides.
This memorial is very captivating. First of all, the blocks are all different sizes and look deceivingly short from a distance. The ground on which they are placed is slopped and uneven, giving visitors walking through a sense of being lost and of solitude.
Probably one of the most well-known landmarks in Berlin is the Berlin Wall. The wall was built to keep the east from going to the west and was actually built within the eastern borders so that the western side could not tear it down. This created an interesting dynamic in West Berlin because of the small portion near the wall that ended up not being under their legal jurisdiction as it was technically East Berlin's property.
Grüβe!