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...a
city no longer divided. |
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| Imagine
how it must have felt on August 13, 1961 when a city
was ripped in two by the infamous Berlin Wall. Families, friends
divided. The city had already suffered at the beginning of
World War II, when Berlin was the capital of the Third Reich.
Stand under the Brandenburg Gate, however, and picture yourself
among the throngs of the exultant crowd on November
9, 1989,
as Germany was unified. This gate had stood in no-man's land between
West and East.
Take time to reflect in the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, where
the ruins of the old church and the new adjacent church vividly
symbolize Berlin's struggles in what is now Europe's largest city.
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| Dietrich
Bonhoeffer House Museum. The Bonhoeffer House (now
a museum) was built in 1935 as Dietrich Bonhoeffer's parent's retirement
home. Dietrich Bonhoeffer stayed here when he was in Berlin. His
book, "After Ten Years", an analysis of the resistance, survived
the war hidden in the house. On April 5, 1943, Dietrich Bonhoeffer
was arrested in this building. Click
here to read more about the museum.
Back to top.
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Berlin
Cathedral. Berlin Cathedral is the former court
cathedral of Prussia's royal family, the Hohenzollern and was conceived
as a protestant answer to St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. The interior
was designed by Julius Raschdorff around the turn of the last century.
In the Sermon Chapel there is a golden altar frieze depicting the
12 apostles. The main altar, dating from 1850, is the work of Friedrich
August Stuler. The Christening and Marriage Chapel contains the
altar painting "Miracle of the Pentecost" by K. Begas the Elder.
Click
here to read more details. Back
to top.
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Kaiser
Wilhelm Memorial Church was
built in 1891-1895 in memory of the German Emperor Wilhelm I. Despite
the heavy damage suffered in World War II, it was preserved, and
in 1959-61 the modern buildings, designed by Egon Eierman, were
added to the complex. The ruin of the old church is one of Berlin's
most famous landmarks and is nicknamed "the lipstick and the powder
box". The church holds very brief church services at 5.30 and 6pm.
It has some stunning blue
stained glass by Gabriel Loire (1904-96). Click
here for more about the church.
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The Reichstag
is the Parliament building and the German Republic was proclaimed
here in 1918. Its had a varied history, including arson, being stormed
by troops and even being wrapped up in silvery-gold cloth for its
101st birthday! See some dramatic photos.
Click
here for more about this magnificent building that symbolizes
German freedom. Back to top.
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Brandenburg
Gate. Originally there
were 14 gates in Berlin's old city wall and this is the last survivor.
For years it was in "no-man's land", but on November 9, 1989 when
the Berlin Wall came down, thousands of happy Berliners gathered
here to celebrate freedom. Click
here for more details and photos. Back
to top.
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Berlin
Wall. From 1961 to 1989, a wall over a hundred miles
in length and 13 feet high separated West and East Berlin, separating
families and splitting a city in two. Click
here to read a fascinating history. Nowadays there is not much
left of this hated structure, but the East
Side Gallery is trying to keep a reminder.The Check-point Charlie
museum (Haus Am Checkpoint Charlie) is open daily from 9am - 10pm.
Back to top.
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 Christian
History Highlights in Berlin:
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Friedrich
Ernst Daniel Schleiermacher (1768-1834)
was a German Protestant Theologian, known as "the father
of modern theology".
Johann August Wilhelm Neander (1789-1850) was a converted Jew, a church history professor and one
of the founders of the Berlin Missionary Society.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-45) was
a Berlin Pastor and professor of theology who resisted
National Socialism, lived and worked here.
Martin Niemöller
(1892-1984) was a World War I navy hero, theologian, author
and pastor. During the war he was imprisoned in Dachau
and Sachsenhausen. He went on to become the president
of the Evangelical Church in Hessen and Nassau. |
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The information
on this site is presented for Christians to learn more about their heritage.
While every effort for accuracy has been made, please contact us if
you notice anything that needs to be brought to our attention.
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